Hiccstrid Oneshots
by hccstrd.haddock
Summary: Just a collection of unrelated oneshots and drabbles containing a large amount of Hiccstrid fluff. Some stories may be OOC and some may contain spoilers, so you've been warned.
1. Stranded

**_Stranded_**

**_..._**

**So, recently I've become obsessed with ****_How to Train Your Dragon _****and the TV series that goes with it. I really loved the idea of Hiccup and Astrid as a couple, so I decided to write this short oneshot.**

**SUMMARY: Hiccup and Astrid end up stuck in a cave while out on an adventure. Will they be able to admit to each other how they feel? Oneshot. Hiccstrid fluff.**

**...**

"Of course, you'd just _have _to get us trapped in here," Astrid said with an eye roll as she crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah, uh...sorry about that." Shyly looking away, Hiccup placed his hand on Toothless' nose. "It's okay, buddy," he reassured. "We'll make it home somehow."

"Um, excuse me? We're stuck in a cave in the middle of nowhere with three feet of snow on the ground and a whole lot more coming down. I doubt we're gonna even be near home anytime soon." She stomped over to Stormfly, who was crouched beside Toothless. "Hiccup, I told you not to go exploring with a storm approaching."

"But you offered to come."

"Was I really supposed to let you get stuck out here alone? I would've been worried sick waiting back home."

"You would've been worried, Astrid?"

Suddenly realizing what she had just said, she turned away and stroked her dragon's side, hiding her reddening face. For the past year, since the time at which the dragons had arrived on Berk, she and Hiccup had taken a liking to one another. Although they were not officially together yet, as he was too shy to ask her to be his girlfriend and she was waiting for him to toughen up and throw her the question, they were definitely more than just friends. They were always hanging out together, sharing just about all their worries and secrets with one another, and had even exchanged a few kisses here and there.

Hiccup smiled to himself as his dragon nudged him with his nose and let out a soft, contented purr.

"You know, soon either it'll be dark or the snow will be too heavy for us to get any light in here," Astrid pointed out.

"We have the dragons," he reminded her. "It'll be fine."

"Do we have food? Water? Blankets? It's freezing here, and we're bound to get hungry or thirsty at some point."

"Any water we need is right there." He pointed toward the growing snowbank at the cave's entrance, then opened Toothless' saddle bag.

"You're expecting me to drink something that touched Thor knows what?"

"It's survival. We gotta get used to these things. I mean, we never know -"

"We never know when _you _will get us trapped in a cave?" She sighed.

"On the bright side, I have two blankets in here and some dried fish." He tossed her one of the blankets before wrapping up in the other himself.

"Do you realize that your father is probably worried sick right now? My parents must be, too."

"Maybe you should've stayed behind. Then you all could've been worried sick together."

Letting out a frustrated sigh, she walked over to Hiccup and punched his arm. "That's for taking me on this stupid journey." She smacked him again. "And that's for getting me stuck in here."

"Ouch!" He leaned against Toothless to prevent himself from falling over. Although Astrid was the most delicate-looking girl in his group of friends, she was definitely the toughest and the most stubborn.

She laughed.

"Usually, this isn't how it goes," he groaned, finding his balance again. Under normal circumstances, her first punch was followed by either a kiss or a tight hug.

"If you think you're getting anything sweet from me now, you're way wrong, you dumbhead."

...

Night fell. As the dragons softly breathed fire for light, Hiccup and Astrid sat against the icy stone wall, both of them exhausted, but not having a decent place to sleep.

"Here, you take my blanket and make yourself a bed," Hiccup finally offered, curling into a ball in an attempt to stop his shivers as he handed his covering to Astrid.

"Okay." She moved to a corner and spread out one blanket over the floor. After lying down on top of it, she pulled the other over her. "Hiccup?"

"Yeah?" He responded through chattering teeth.

"There's still room here. I mean, if you'd like to keep warm. It's actually not bad."

Blushing slightly, he wandered over and crawled beneath the covers. Soon, however, he found himself being forced to bear the chilly atmosphere once more as Astrid tugged the blanket more towards her.

"This is not fair."

"I'm a bad sleeper. I'm always moving around and all that," she explained. "Deal with it."

After a while of wrestling around for blanket space, the two friends both sighed and laid still, listening to the howling wind outside.

"That's for trying to take my covers," Astrid said eventually, punching his arm.

"But you took mine. I -"

"Shut up." She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

He smiled. "Let me guess, that's for everything else?"

"You got it." She nestled against his side and rested her head on his chest.

"What...are you doing?"

"It's called cuddling. I lay like this and then we're _supposed _to hug."

"Like how?" He looked over at the dragons to see Toothless staring at him, amusement written on his face.

Astrid groaned. "Just put your arms around my waist. I'll put mine around yours. It's not that difficult."

"Give me a break. I'm not used to this uh...this...whatever it's called."

"Cuddling?"

"Yeah, that." Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck, then locked his arms about her.

"Alright, dragons, lights out," she ordered as she reciprocated the gesture, one of her legs tangling with his.

Toothless and Stormfly obeyed, then settled down to sleep themselves.

"Isn't it warmer this way?" she prompted, snuggling further into his chest, the sound of his heartbeat soothing her.

"It is," he admitted. "But if my dad comes looking for us and happens to find us here while we're like this, we're huddling for warmth. Not doing your cuddling thing."

She rolled her eyes and broke free from his grasp. Turning her back on him, she bit her lip.

"What's wrong, Astrid?"

"You're that embarrassed about me?"

"What do you mean?"

"You make a sorry excuse every time someone asks why we kissed - which, by the way, I always initiate - you don't even ask me to be your girlfriend while I've got Snotlout bugging the hell out of me about dating him _and _my mother nagging me about finding someone before she chooses a guy for me herself, and now, you tell me we have to hide the fact we're cuddling in a deserted cave, where we need to keep warm? Can't you just say, 'Astrid, I like you. Will you please be my girlfriend?'"

"I'm sorry." He shifted over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "But you know how I am. I'm awkward, shy, and stupid."

She kicked his shin.

"Ouch!"

"You don't get it. I've been waiting for you, Hiccup. I always thought you liked me back. But maybe not. In which case if you don't, why have you been letting me be all affectionate with you? You could've just said, 'I don't like you,' or maybe, 'I'm not interested?' Or at the very least, 'Get out of my damn life?'"

"I...I do like you," he stuttered. "I just didn't know how to tell you."

"Seriously?" She rolled around to face him. "You didn't know how to say that?"

"I always mess things up. You know that."

"Really? Because to me, you've been perfect. Up until now, anyway."

He paused for a moment, speechless. Him? Perfect? No one had ever told him that before. "I -"

"Stop. You know, if you ask me to be your girlfriend right now, there's still a chance I could accept."

Hiccup froze. Was she serious? Did he really have the chance to claim her as his? It was impossible. It had to be. Not even Snotlout had a girlfriend yet.

"Go on," she prompted.

Taking a deep breath, he finally said, "Astrid, will you please be my girlfriend?"

Astrid punched him. "That's for making me wait this long to call you mine. _Babe_." She smirked as she leaned in to connect her lips to his. However, this kiss wasn't like the others they had shared. Instead, it was longer and more intense, with their tongues tangling together and a few quiet moans escaping from their mouths.

"And that," she began when they finally broke away, "Is for everything else."


	2. Bad Dreams

**_Bad Dreams_**

**_..._**

**So...I decided to make a whole set of fluffy Hiccstrid oneshots. I know most people who read my work expect Troyella/HSM fanfiction, but right now, I'm reallllyyyy obsessed with the pairing of Hiccup and Astrid. That's not to say I won't finish my HSM fic, and I will definitely be finishing my ****_Neighbors _****twoshot. But I most likely won't be writing much Troyella anymore to be honest, so sorry to disappoint. Anyway, I hope you guys like this oneshot. By the way, in this oneshot, Hiccup and Astrid are around 17/18. They are more than friends, but aren't really "official" yet.**

**SUMMARY: Astrid reveals her secret fear, which she looks at as a weakness, to Hiccup. Little does she know, her weakness is actually a strength in disguise. A bit OOC. Lots of cuddles and other adorable fluff.**

**...**

"You sure move around a lot, don't you?" Hiccup groaned as Astrid pulled the covers off of him and wrapped them around herself. Because her family was out of town, she had asked if she could spend the night with him. Unfortunately, he'd made the mistake of not only agreeing to it, but allowing her to share his bed.

"Sorry. I just have a hard time getting to sleep." She tossed some of the blanket over him, then cuddled into his side.

Smiling, he wrapped an arm around her. "Now this is perfect for sleeping. We both have blankets, we're keeping each other warm...do you think it could stay this way?"

"Maybe." She shrugged. "I mean, I'd love to be able to just snuggle like this, but..."

"But what? Tell me what's wrong."

Astrid sighed and laid her head on his chest. "Alright. But you gotta promise not to tell _anyone._"

"I promise."

"Not my family, not your dad, not our friends, not -"

"I won't say anything. Your secret will be safe with me."

She took a deep breath. "I have bad dreams. A lot. To the point where I'm exhausted, yet scared to fall asleep. But no one else can know I'm a sissy who's afraid of something that's not even real."

"It's not being a sissy. Everyone has fears."

"But I just feel weak. Every time it happens, I wake up crying, and Vikings aren't supposed to cry."

"It's okay," Hiccup reassured. "And I'll tell you what. If you wake up from a bad dream, you can wake me up if you need to talk. If not, you're allowed to just hold onto me if you need to, whether I'm asleep or not."

Nodding in acknowledgement, she closed her eyes, a smile spreading across her face as she felt him tucking the covers around her.

...

Astrid's eyes shot open. She had just seen a terrifying thing. A poisonous dragon, covered in burning stones instead of scales, running through the island and killing everything in its path. Hiccup had been trying to drive it out to sea, but in the process, it had wounded Toothless, causing the pair to crash and die in flames. Whimpering, she quickly moved over, expecting Hiccup to be there for her to cuddle up to. However, she was only met with empty bed space. The dream couldn't be real, it just couldn't. She tried to calm herself, but it only resulted in her heart beating faster and panic searing through her body. "Hiccup!" she shouted.

"Down here, Astrid," came a groggy voice from the floor. "You kicked me off the bed in your sleep a while ago."

"I-I-" Tears began to fall from her eyes as she watched Hiccup climb back in next to her. Throwing her arms around his neck, she buried her face in his shoulder and sobbed.

"It'll be okay," he reassured, hugging her waist.

After settling down to a few sniffles, she broke the embrace. "I-I want water. And a handkerchief."

"Toothless, go get her what she needs," Hiccup commanded. He would've gone himself, but then he would've needed to go through the trouble of fastening on his metal leg, as he couldn't walk without it.

The dark dragon who was sleeping in the corner opened his eyes and, letting out a purr, sat up.

"Go get Astrid water and a handkerchief," he commanded again.

Toothless obeyed. When he returned, Astrid gulped down the water and wiped her nose and eyes. "I won't be able to go back to sleep for a while."

"Here, about we just lie down and talk, and maybe eventually, you'll feel comfortable enough to sleep again." He leaned back against his pillow and held out his arms for her to snuggle into.

"So, what are we doing in the morning?" she asked.

"Sleeping in."

"What?"

"We're both gonna need it after tonight."

"But-"

"It's okay. I'll be here, and if you have another bad dream, do what you just did."

"I'm not worried about _that_." She rolled her eyes. "I'm worried about dragon training. Everyone will wonder where we are if we don't show up at the academy on time."

"Let them wait, then. I'll just say I had to help you out with Stormfly."

She kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Hiccup."

"For what?"

"Just...everything." Closing her eyes, she hugged his waist.

Hs squeezed her tighter as he nuzzled into her hair. A few times she tried to wriggle free, but he continued to hold her. Only when her breathing became relaxed and even did he allow himself to fall asleep along with her.

...

"Hey Hiccup," Astrid began when all the others had left the academy for the day after hours of training.

"What's up?" Hiccup asked.

"Could I stay over at your place again tonight? You know, after I had my bad dream, I really felt a lot better having you there with me." She blushed.

"And we can have another night of struggling for blankets and bed space?" he said, sitting on the ground and pulling a giggling Astrid on top of his lap so that she was facing him.

"I didn't mean to!" she insisted.

"And besides, your parents are home. Won't they wonder why you're having a sleepover with me?"

"Not if I can sneak out."

"Oh, Astrid." Smiling, he began to tickle her side.

"Stop!" she squealed, knocking him over and punching his arm.

"What was that for?"

"Flirting with me." She stuck her tongue out as she ran away.

"Come back here!" Standing up, he began to chase her around. When he eventually caught up with her, he pulled her off her feet and carried her bridal style over to Toothless. "Do you wanna come home with me or not?"

"Not now. I gotta take Stormfly back for lunch." Astrid jumped out of his arms and pecked his lips. "See you tonight. And by the way, that kiss was for everything else."

...

"Hey, Astrid." Hiccup scooted over in bed as he saw the blonde jumping into his window from her dragon. She was barefoot in her nightgown, with her hair tied back in a simple ponytail rather than her usual braided hairstyle.

"Hiccup!" She dashed over and squeezed him.

"What was that for?"

"Hiccup, I need your help. The Screaming Death is coming. I saw it on my way over here. We need to stop it before it destroys the whole island."

"It's back?" He rose his eyebrows in astonishment as he shrugged off Astrid's embrace and began getting ready to leave. "I need to go tell my dad. You go get Snotlout, the twins, and Fishlegs."

"Got it." She turned away.

"Wait!"

"What?"

"You can't fight like that. You need shoes...and armor...unless you'd like to lose a leg like I did."

"No, thanks."

"Then go. Stop at your place, get properly dressed, _then _go get the others."

"Okay. Stormfly!"

"Dad!" Hiccup shouted as he rushed down the stairs. "Dad!"

"What in the name of Thor, son?" Stoick asked, emerging from his room. His expression was stern. "I heard you and someone else yelling upstairs in here. You know that's unacceptable for this hour."

"That was Astrid. She came to tell me that the Screaming Death is on its way. She's going to get the other riders, then we're gonna go fight it off. You need to warn the rest of the town."

"Go, then!"

Hiccup ran out the door, Stoick following behind. "Toothless!"

The loyal dragon appeared immediately.

"Toothless, take me to Astrid," he commanded, climbing onto the reptile's back.

Letting out a purr, Toothless flew into the air.

"Astrid!" Hiccup shouted, catching sight of her riding in the distance.

"Fishlegs and Snotlout are coming. The twins are nowhere to be seen. But we need them!"

"Relax. My dad's calling attention to the town. They should turn up eventually. Let's just go meet the others."

Once everyone was united, Hiccup shouted, "Okay. Astrid, lead us to where you saw the Screaming Death."

"This way!" Astrid sped off on Stormfly, the others following behind.

"Wait for us!" Fishlegs cried, struggling to keep up with Meatlug.

"There it is. The Screaming Death." Hiccup pointed to the towering, monstrous creature as he bit his lip. "Come on, Snotlout. You come with me. Fishlegs, follow Astrid. We're gonna come at him from both sides."

"What's going on?" a voice called.

"Yeah, we missing something good?" another said.

Hiccup turned around to see the twins riding up behind him on Barf and Belch. "The Screaming Death is here. We need to chase it off before it destroys Berk."

"The Screaming Death? Cool," said Tuffnut.

"It isn't good!" shouted Hiccup as the white dragon snarled at him. "Toothless, plasma blast!"

Toothless roared, blue plasma shooting from his throat.

"Good job, bud. Now go! Everyone!"

The group charged toward the Screaming Death, all the dragons shooting at once.

"I...I don't like this!" screamed Fishlegs, covering his eyes.

"Get away from me, you stupid reptile!" Astrid yelled to the monster as it began to move toward her. "Stormfly, fire!"

Stormfly obeyed.

"I think it's working!" called Hiccup.

The dragon turned its head to face him.

"Or not," he corrected. That was the last thing he remembered before darkness hit him.

...

"Hiccup? Hiccup are you okay?" Astrid gently shook Hiccup's shoulder. Despite his efforts with Toothless, the Screaming Death had forced him down into the sea, leaving the rest of the group to fight it off themselves. Toothless had bravely retrieved Hiccup, but that did not mean he was left unharmed.

"Astrid?" Hiccup's eyes cracked open, revealing that he was lying in his bed. "What the -" He looked at the bandage that was covering his lower arm.

"The Screaming Death got you. Your arm is burned."

"I still have my good leg, right?"

"Of course." She tucked the covers around him and kissed his cheek.

"Is the Screaming Death..."

"It's gone. Me, the twins, and Snotlout fought it off. Fishlegs went back to get help for you."

He smiled. "We did it. Berk is okay."

"Yes, yes, but you're not."

"I'll be fine."

"Not right now you won't be. Let me -"

"Come here, you." Taking her hand, he pulled her onto the bed beside him.

"What?"

"Your nightmares turned out to be a wonderful thing, Astrid."

"May I ask how?" She raised an eyebrow.

"If you didn't have nightmares, you wouldn't have wanted to come stay the night with me. If you hadn't rode over to my place, you wouldn't have seen the Screaming Death coming."

"You're right!"

"Exactly. Your weakness turned out to not even be a weakness, didn't it? It's a strength."

"I guess so." She climbed under the blankets. "But Hiccup?"

"Yeah?"

"I still want this to be a strength that's just between you and I."

"And I respect that."

The two lay there in silence for a few minutes.

"By the way, Astrid," Hiccup said. "Goodnight. And sweet dreams."

"Goodnight." She rolled over and cuddled into his side. "And sweet dreams to you, too."


	3. Not So Ideal

**_Not So Ideal_**

**...**

**So, I just decided to do a cute oneshot on Hiccup and Astrid's future life after HTTYD2. This will contain a spoiler or two (plus an adorable Hiccstrid baby), so be warned. **

**SUMMARY: Though many Vikings would turn their noses up at the Haddock's way of living, neither Hiccup nor Astrid would trade their lifestyle for the world. Hiccstrid fluff. Somewhat OOC (depending on how you look at it).**

**_..._**

Ten years ago, no one would have ever guessed that the tough, stubborn Astrid Hofferson would end up becoming a wife and a mother, but it had happened. A year after marrying Hiccup Haddock, Berk's young chief, she had found out she was pregnant. Not even a year had passed after the birth of her son when she discovered she had another little one on the way. Most residents of Berk only had one or two children within a lifetime. Because she was barely twenty-four years and already was about to be a mother of two, she and Hiccup were often teased about how they were assumed to spend their free time.

Though meant to be a joke, there was nothing particularly humorous about it. Hiccup and Astrid shared a strong, loving bond, and greatly enjoyed the physical aspect of their relationship. Since most couples were part of arranged marriages, they only slept together in order to produce a child - which many hoped would be a strong, healthy boy. Another thing that was often missing was an emotional connection or desire to be together beyond the man's need for a woman to do women's duties around the home and vice versa. In a way, however, it was no surprise that the chief and his wife had a different view on their marriage, as they had been the first to stand up for the dragons on Berk nine years before.

"How's my family today?" Hiccup asked as he walked through the door. A crooked smile immediately lit up his face as he caught sight of his wife sitting in a comfortable chair with their little boy cuddled against her pregnant stomach.

"Dada!" the child, who was named Ander Stoick Haddock, shouted.

"Hello there, buddy," greeted Hiccup, leaning down so he was eye level with his son. "Did you and Mama have a good day today?"

Ander babbled, a smile spreading across his face.

Turning toward Astrid, Hiccup said, "Hey, darling. You look exhausted." He leaned in to kiss her lips and brush her blonde hair out of her eyes. "You okay?"

"Just sleepy." She yawned.

"Are our babies wearing you out?"

"Pretty much." Sighing, she laced her fingers with his. "You know, you're lucky I love you to death. Otherwise, I would _so_ be tempted to not have sex for a very long time." Although Astrid did enjoy carrying her and Hiccup's babies, some days she just wished she could have a bit of time off from the side effects of pregnancy.

"Shh. There's little ears here." He lifted Ander into his arms.

"Where are you taking him?"

"With me. You deserve some time alone."

"Thanks, babe." Rising from her seat, she kissed her husband, then her son. "I'm gonna go take a nap."

"Alright."

As Astrid disappeared into the bedroom, Hiccup noticed his mother, Valka, standing in the doorway of the kitchen. "Oh, hi, Mom."

"Your father would be more than proud of you if he were still here," Valka smiled as she walked over to Hiccup and his little boy. "You know, a couple days before his death, he told me that if he could go back in time, he'd spend more time being a better husband to me - before I left of course - and a better father to you. He thought he was a horrible person for always putting his duties as chief before us."

"I never knew he felt that way," Hiccup responded, looking toward the ground.

"But he did. And I can tell you that he would be ecstatic to see you always putting Astrid and Ander first." She sighed. "He did such a wonderful job raising you alone. I just wish he could be here to see that."

Hiccup struggled not to shed a tear. He missed his father nearly as much as his mother did. He knew very well that the late Stoick had liked and approved of Astrid as his partner, and would've loved to be there to meet his first grandson.

"Baba!" Ander babbled, pointing toward the door.

"You wanna go outside, buddy? Alright, come on. Let's get your shoes on. Maybe Fishlegs will let us borrow Meatlug for a ride." Although Toothless wasn't rough, he was still too much for an eleven-month-old boy like Ander. Meatlug was the perfect fit, as she was gentle, slow, and flew smoothly.

"Have fun, you two," smiled Valka. "I'll be getting dinner ready in the kitchen." Because Astrid wasn't the best cook and had a child to worry about, Valka had taken over meal duties. Besides, she felt that if she was going to live in the home, she should be helping out somewhere.

"We will, Mom." He ruffled his son's soft, reddish-brown hair before placing him on the floor and putting a pair of tiny boots on his feet.

"Dada!"

Hiccup smiled. Although everyone said Ander looked like a copy of him, he still saw a bit of Astrid in his blue eyes and irresistible grin. Not to mention, he already was showing signs of his mother's stubbornness.

Yes, Ander was a perfect combination of both parents. However, Hiccup realized that he was still his own person, and, at his birth, had promised that he would never try to make him be someone he wasn't. The last thing he wanted was for his own son to live through the rough childhood he had gone through himself.

...

"I think we're gonna have another boy," Astrid said, placing a hand over her stomach. She and Hiccup were lying in bed, spending time together talking before they fell asleep.

"What makes you say that, milady?" asked Hiccup.

"Mother's intuition." She laid her cheek on his chest. "You aren't disappointed, are you?"

"Of course not. I mean, you know I'd love a little girl, but I'm sure we'll get one eventually. The important thing is that our children are happy and healthy."

"How many do you want?"

"As many as we're lucky enough to have."

"You always say that. But I want a _real _answer, babe. I know you must have some sort of preference."

"I honestly don't, darling. I'm just grateful to be able to finally have a complete family." He pushed a few stray strands of hair off her face and tucked them behind her ear.

"That's adorable, but seriously...I'm sure you wouldn't want to have say...ten children, would you?"

"I wouldn't be angry if it happened."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "You're so confusing."

"Hey, you know, as long as we keep sleeping together, we could have enough children to make a whole new village, so you and me both might as well be open-minded."

"True. But you need to have some number in your mind."

"I just don't, though." He shrugged. "You know, I think this pregnancy is starting to get to your head."

She punched his arm. "You're so rude."

"Love you too, Astrid."

...

"You look sick," Hiccup remarked as he watched Astrid drag herself to the bedroom door.

"I'm fine," she insisted through chattering teeth. Two weeks had passed, making Ander's first birthday only a week and a half away. That day also roughly marked Astrid's fifth month of pregnancy.

He laid a hand on her shoulder. "You're not fine. Go back to bed."

"I can't. Ander needs me."

"Listen, Astrid. You and the new baby need to rest. I'll worry about Ander today."

"I swear, I really would like to punch you right now."

"You can punch me all you want, but I'm not gonna let anything to happen to you."

"Fine." With a half-hearted eye roll, she turned around and plopped onto the bed. When it came to her health and safety and the health and safety of the children - whether born or unborn - she knew there was no use in arguing with him.

After tucking her in, Hiccup kissed her forehead. "You're burning up. Here, let me go find you some water." With that, he was gone.

She closed her eyes, secretly relieved that her husband was willing to take on the day's work alone.

"There you go, darling," he said when he returned, placing a cup of water beside the bed. "And don't worry. I'll have everything under control today."

Astrid rolled over and tugged the blankets closer to her. "I love you, babe," she choked out, her voice barely a whisper as she was cut off by a cough.

"I love you, too," Hiccup smiled, pushing her sweaty hair out of her eyes. "Now relax." Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of the room and went to retrieve Ander. "Good morning, bud," he greeted, lifting the baby into his arms. "Mama's not feeling well today, so you're gonna have to be stuck with me."

"Mama! Mama!"

"I know you miss her, buddy, but we can't have you getting sick, too." He hugged Ander close to him. "Come on. Let's go get you some breakfast."

"Good morning, Hiccup," said Valka as she spooned porridge into two bowls, one large and one small. "Where's Astrid?"

"Sick," Hiccup announced, placing Ander in his baby chair and pulling up a full size one beside it. "She's got a fever." He took the bowls of porridge from his mother and began to alternate between eating and feeding the child.

"You'd best be keeping an eye on her. If she's not any better by tomorrow, you should go get Gothi to take a look at the poor thing."

"I will." He finished only half his breakfast, then decided to take the rest to Astrid. "Mom, do you mind helping Ander finish up?"

"Not at all. You go to your pretty wife. She needs you." Valka smiled.

"Thanks." Standing up, he walked to the door of the chief's bedroom and slowly opened it. "Astrid?" He walked in to see the young woman propped up in bed with pillows, her sewing work in her lap. "Excuse me? You're supposed to be resting, milady."

"I _am_ resting. I'm resting while working on Ander's new clothes." She coughed and, raising a hand to her head, let out a moan of pain.

Hiccup sighed and sat down beside her. "But you need to take it easy."

"I can't let myself go a whole day without doing at least _something,_" she explained with a sniffle.

"Yes, you can."

"You know, if Ander really does turn out this stubborn, I have no idea what I will do." He shook his head as he gently took the sewing work from her.

"Hiccup!" she groaned.

"But I would bring you rings of gold, I'd even sing you poetry. And I would keep you from all harm, if you would rest in bed," he sang playfully.

"Not funny."

"Right, it's not funny because I'm serious. Seriously. Now, I brought you breakfast if you want any."

"No, thanks."

"You sure? The baby might need food, though. You should try to have some."

"The baby's fine, trust me. He won't stop kicking." She touched her stomach. "Come here, feel him."

Hiccup put down the bowl and slid closer to Astrid, hugging her with one arm as he placed his free hand on her baby bump. At the feeling of movement beneath his palm, he smiled. "I think he's trying to tell you that he's hungry and tired."

"And how would you know?" she asked with a cough.

"Because I'm the father." He leaned over to grab the porridge. "Now eat."

Sighing, Astrid forced down a few small mouthfuls before shoving the bowl back into her husband's hands.

"Don't you feel better now?" He put the dish on the floor and hugged her.

"A little," she choked out with a yawn. Closing her eyes, she found her favorite spot on his chest and snuggled there. Though Vikings traditionally lacked affection, Hiccup and Astrid weren't afraid to cuddle up together. After all, there was nothing bad that could possibly result from it, despite the belief held by some that too many loving gestures, especially toward children, could induce weakness. However, just like with most other things, the couple went against the crowd, making affection a big role in their family's communication pattern.

Once Astrid had successfully fallen asleep, Hiccup slowly moved her onto a pillow and tucked the covers about her. Though he would've liked to continue holding her as she rested, he had a child and a town to tend to.

"Alright, come on, Ander," he said as he finished putting on his armor. "You get to come do chief duties with your dad today." Picking up the little boy, he stepped outside to see a crowd assembling outside. "What's going on?"

All at once, everyone began shouting.

"One at a time!" Hiccup called out. "And let me warn you, I've got a sick, pregnant wife in the house, so I'm not in the mood for childish problems today."

"What qualifies as 'childish?'" asked Snotlout. Although he was one of Berk's best warriors after Hiccup and Astrid, he could be a real pain in the ass sometimes.

Hiccup sighed. "Fighting over sheep and fish and complaining that your wife isn't making the dinner you were hoping for."

Three-quarters of the crowd walked away grumbling - Snotlout included.

After taking care of the remaining people's concerns about sick dragons and stolen furniture, Hiccup took Ander back inside for lunch and a nap. Deciding that he could use a bit of rest himself after the events of the morning, he lay down on the couch and closed his eyes.

...

"Hiccup?"

Hiccup's eyes opened to see Astrid standing over him. "What are you doing? You know you're supposed to be resting."

"And you're supposed to be working," she shot back with a cough.

"I'm taking a little break. Ander and I had a rough morning."

"Where is he?" She plopped onto the ground in an attempt to stop the dizziness that was swirling about her head.

He sat up. "Sleeping in his room. Now, I think it's your turn to do some explaining."

"I need some fresh air. I feel like I'm gonna throw up." Standing, she dragged herself to the front door and stepped outside, her body shaking despite the warm weather.

"Astrid!" He followed after to see her climbing onto Stormfly, sitting side-saddle due to her nightgown. "Seriously? You really think it's a good idea to fly when you're pregnant, running a fever, and about to barf?"

"She knows," Astrid choked out. "She's gonna go easy on me."

"I don't like this."

"I'll be back in a half-hour." With that, she rose into the sky.

"But Astrid!"

"See you, babe!"

Sighing, Hiccup went back inside. He couldn't blame her for wanting to get out for a little while, and he knew she wouldn't do anything too terribly stupid, but it was still impossible for him to stop worrying.

...

"Where are you going, girl?" Astrid asked weakly as Stormfly turned toward the sea.

The aqua-colored dragon merely let out a purr and nodded her head.

"Girl, uh, I'm gonna have a very, very unhappy husband if we don't get home in time. I told you I just needed a short ride for some air." Twenty minutes had already passed since the pair had left, and Stormfly was showing no sign of returning to the house.

The reptile just smiled and continued along her way. When she eventually stopped, her landing place was a small island.

"Come on, Stormfly, just take me home," begged Astrid, who was almost in tears. "This isn't fun anymore. I feel like I'm gonna faint." She jumped off the dragon.

Letting out a little noise, Stormfly beckoned Astrid into a small wooded area with her tail.

Astrid sighed as she followed her pet through the rugged path, stones and sharp sticks tearing at her bare feet and drawing blood. Thorns from nearby bushes ripped her clothes and the skin of her arms and caught in her already matted hair. _Hiccup is gonna kill me for this._

When Stormfly paused, it was at a tiny patch of herbs. Nudging them, she turned her large head toward her owner as if to say, "This will make you feel better."

"You think I should take these home with me, Stormfly? I've never seen them before, though." Shrugging, Astrid let out a cough and quickly picked a handful of the mysterious herbs.

Seemingly satisfied, Stormfly led Astrid out of the woods and allowed her to climb upon her back.

"Okay. Take me home now, girl." Sniffling, Astrid wiped some dirt off her face and held onto Stormfly, ready to get back to her family.

...

"Where is Astrid?" Hiccup exclaimed, pulling Ander onto his knee. It was past dinnertime, he had finished all his chief duties, and his wife was nowhere to be found.

"She's with her dragon. I'm sure she's safe," Valka comforted.

"But what if she ran into trouble? If she doesn't come back soon, I'm gonna go out and look for her. You know what? I'm gonna go now. This is-" He broke off as the front door slowly creaked open.

"Astrid!" Hiccup exclaimed, handing Ander to Valka and springing up to hug his wife.

"Hiccup!" Wrapping her arms around him, Astrid nestled against his chest. By this time, Ander was at the couple's feet, happily babbling at the sight of his beloved mother.

"Never do that to me again, darling," Hiccup said sternly as he tightened his grip on her. "I was worried sick."

"Me and Stormfly had an adventure," she explained, breaking the hug so she could cuddle her son. "She found me some herbs and insisted I take them home. I think it's something that might make me feel better." The last few words were choked out.

"Let me have a look," Hiccup said, taking Ander from her. It was then that he noticed her disheveled hair and clothes as well as the scrapes on her arm. "What in Thor's name _was _this adventure?" Glancing down, he saw her dirty, blood-stained feet. "Never mind, just get yourself into the washroom and I'll have Toothless heat some bath water for you. You gotta get cleaned up before any of those cuts get infected." Without waiting for a response from her, he put the child down, lifted Astrid into his arms, and carried her into a closet-like room with a wooden tub, soaps, and oils. "I'll be back."

"Get the herbs from Stormfly's saddle bag while you're out there," she said, sinking onto the floor.

"Will do." He left the room, grabbed six big buckets, and hurried out to the well. Once he had finally gathered enough water, he gave it to Toothless to heat while he wandered over to Stormfly. As he retrieved the herbs, he looked at them with wonder. They were nothing like he had seen before, yet seemed so familiar at the same time. "Mom!" he shouted, bursting into the house. "Do you know what these are?" He dropped the small bundle on the table in front of her.

Turning one of the pieces over in her hand, Valka smiled. "This is what I like to call nadder-nip. It's a rare plant that nadders are attracted to, and is excellent for relieving fevers and stomachaches."

"I've heard of that!" he exclaimed, his memory coming back to him.

"Stormfly is a smart dragon. I told you Astrid would be in good hands with her." She stood up, her grandson in her arms. "Tell you what, you go help your poor wife get cleaned up and I'll make her some tea out of this. If everything goes how I suspect it will, she should be fine by the time tomorrow comes around."

"Thank you so much, Mom!" Grinning, Hiccup rushed to bring the water inside. When the tub was finally full, he left Astrid to climb in while he found her hairbrush. "Here we go," he said as he returned. He sat behind her and began to brush out her long, mangled hair. "So now, tell me about your trip."

"Now is not a good time," she moaned. "I feel like I could faint at any minute."

"Don't worry. My mom knows what those herbs are that Stormfly found and she says they'll help you out a lot. She's making you some tea from them now." He gently rubbed her bare shoulders. "It turns out your dragon really knew what she was doing. But that doesn't change the fact that you scared me to death."

"Mmm." She reached over and took one of his hands in hers. "Finish my hair first. I don't need a massage right now, you genius."

"Sorry." Hiccup picked up the brush again and resumed the task of pulling the knots out of her dusty blonde strands. Before he was even done, he heard Valka call to him that the tea was ready. "I'll be back." Kissing Astrid's cheek, he stepped out of the room.

Astrid smiled to herself as she grabbed the bar of soap from the side of the tub and tried her best to begin to wash up.

"Take it easy," she heard Hiccup say upon returning. "You just sit and drink this and I'll work on scrubbing you." He placed the cup of freshly brewed tea into her hands. "And whenever you're ready, you can tell me about your trip."

...

"Then Stormfly coaxed me into this wooded area," Astrid was saying. Two cups of tea later, she was already beginning to feel more like herself. In that time, Hiccup had finally finished brushing through and washing her hair and was then working on scrubbing her back. "And...damn, that feels good, babe." She closed her eyes. After three years of marriage, her husband had learned how to rub her back whilst washing it, as they often shared a bath in winter when it was hard to obtain enough unfrozen water for each of them to bathe separately.

He nuzzled her shoulder before pressing a kiss there. "Glad to hear that. Now go on."

"And it was a mess in there, which is why I came back all beat up. But anyway, I..." She continued her story. By the time she was done, she was clean, dry, and dressed in a fresh nightgown. As she braided her damp hair, Hiccup rubbed ointment on her feet to keep her wounds from growing worse.

"And there we go," he said, putting away the jar of ointment and giving her his hand in order to help her rise from the chair she was on. "All fixed up."

"Thanks." She pecked his cheek. "Now, get me some food, please. I haven't had more than a few bites all day."

"Let's go. But just one more thing - if you ever scare me like that again -"

"Shh." Cutting him off, Astrid slammed her lips down onto his.

Hiccup smiled through the kiss as he held her waist, wishing he could never let go. Even though they didn't have the "ideal" Viking lifestyle, neither of them could ask for a better way to live. They were happily married and very much in love, with one child in their home and another on the way. They had the best dragons they could ever wish for, making the possibilities of adventure endless for them. However, no matter how far they went, it was never impossible to return to their beloved island of Berk.

What more could they want?


	4. Motherhood

**_Motherhood_**

**...**

**Hey guys, so I really enjoyed writing my last oneshot in this collection (****_Not So Ideal_****) and you all seemed to enjoy reading it as well, so I decided to write another that's sort of connected to the previous one. It can stand alone, but if you'd like to know what happened before this, read the other one. Anyway, hope you enjoy this one! Please let me know if you do, and also let me know if you'd be interested in more short oneshots about Hiccstrid and their children.**

**SUMMARY: After finding out she's pregnant for the third time, Astrid decides to resign from her duties as Hiccup's assistant in order to care for her babies. The problem is that the people of Berk are not happy about it. Will Hiccup and Astrid be able to change their minds? Somewhat OOC. Hiccstrid/basic family fluff.**

**_..._**

It was customary in Berk for each family to include only one or two children. This tradition especially applied to the chief and his wife, for the woman of the house was expected to assist with chief duties rather than play the role of a housewife. But things were different for Hiccup and Astrid Haddock.

A year and a half after having their second son, Flynn Jarl Haddock, Astrid discovered she was pregnant for the third time. Of course, Hiccup was delighted with the news, as it meant there was a chance he could get the baby girl he'd been wishing for since the first child. The citizens of Berk, however, did not take the news well.

First of all, because she was about to be the mother of three, Astrid had asked Hiccup if she could resign from her duties helping him to care for her children. Normally, the chief's wife would hand her babies over to a nanny when they were done nursing, but together, Hiccup and Astrid had decided that it would be best for the whole family if the little Haddocks were fully raised by their parents. That was one thing the people were upset about. The second thing they disliked was the general size of the Haddock household. There was Valka, Hiccup, Astrid, and two little boys all living under the same roof - plus another baby coming in about six month's time.

"Astrid's always pregnant," Snotlout sneered after hearing Hiccup's reminder that the wife of the chief of Berk was expecting another child.

The rest of the crowd laughed.

"You two must mistake yourselves for rabbits," Ruffnut, Snotlout's new wife, added.

"Be quiet! As the chief of Berk, I command you all to stop giving me a hard time about what Astrid and I choose to do with our lives," Hiccup said, pacing back and forth. "You don't have to necessarily like our decisions, but you do need to respect them."

"Respect what?" Tuffnut, Ruffnut's twin brother asked. "There's nothing about sitting in a house and popping out children that's honorable. She's wasting energy that could be used in battle."

"Just...just go." Hiccup hit his forehead with his palm. "All of you." Once the people were gone, he went home, where Astrid was sitting on the couch sewing a baby blanket. Ander and Flynn were on the floor playing with wooden dragon figures.

"What's wrong, babe?" Astrid asked, quickly taking note of her husband's distressed state.

"Snotlout and the twins." He plopped down beside her. "They won't shut up about how much they hate that we're having more children, which causes the rest of the people to get all angry about it. I mean, I don't see what the problem is. So we have more than two kids? And yesterday, even Gobber said something to me about how we should get my mom to work as a nanny." Gobber had been a trusted family friend for years, so his criticism had really hurt Hiccup.

"Mama!" Flynn called, running up to Astrid and hugging her leg.

"Mama!" Three-year-old Ander echoed, jumping into his mother's lap and embracing her.

"Look at these two, though," Hiccup continued. "They love you. I know they love their grandma, too, but it would be heartbreaking to leave them without your love and care."

"Exactly my point as to why I wanted to resign as assistant chief." Astrid sighed.

"If only I could step down from my position, too." He helped Flynn onto the couch and watched as he immediately snuggled against Astrid's arm.

"What's up, guys?" Astrid asked, looking at her sons.

"Mama, why is Daddy sad?" Ander questioned.

Astrid's heart melted as she saw genuine concern written on the little boy's face. "Aww, sweetheart, he's just had a long day. Why don't you go give him a cuddle?"

Ander crawled over to Hiccup. "It will be good, Daddy," he comforted, settling down in his lap. "But if you get really sadder, ask Mama for a kiss."

"Aww, thanks buddy." Hiccup wrapped his arms around Ander.

"Are you gonna follow his advice?" Astrid asked, raising an eyebrow.

Hiccup smiled. "Well, considering I forgot to kiss you when I walked in the door..." He leaned over.

Placing her sewing beside her, she closed the gap between their lips. "You know, you gotta shave, babe," she pointed out, her soft fingertips running over the stubble on his chin.

"I will tomorrow." He groaned. "I'm just so stressed right now."

"Maybe you need more than just a kiss," she suggested with a playful wink.

"I know what you're thinking, milady." He gently tugged her side braid. "And I am completely open to the idea. But not now."

"Not now," she echoed in confirmation. "Tonight, though."

...

"Better?" Astrid asked. She pulled the covers over her naked body and snuggled into Hiccup's bare chest.

"Much better," Hiccup said, holding her close and pressing kisses onto her shoulders. "Mmm, you don't know how much I love you, darling."

"I love you more," she shot back.

"I doubt that." He tightened his grip on her and buried his nose in her hair.

The couple lay there for a few minutes in silence before Astrid finally spoke. "You're seriously okay with me sitting out some things to stay with the kids, right?"

"Of course I am. My dad didn't have help from my mom with chief duties and he was fine. I don't see why I wouldn't be fine, too."

"I just worry sometimes," she confessed. "I worry that maybe everyone's right about this being a stupid decision."

"Don't be. You see how much the boys love you. And if we're gonna continue having children, it would be best for you not to worry about helping me out. Besides, you can still fight in battles. You just won't need to worry about all the other chief stuff, like training dragons and settling ridiculous fights between Snotlout and Ruffnut."

"But I feel kind of bad leaving that all to you. I mean, you've been so stressed since I started staying in with the boys all the time."

"Listen. Being chief is a naturally stressful job. You're doing the right thing by giving the kids the love they deserve. And you know what? What really helps me get through my life is times like these, where we can relax, cuddle, have sex, or just talk."

"So in other words, the more stressed you get, the more often you're gonna get me pregnant?" She pulled back just enough for her to be able to look him in the eye.

"Not necessarily." He gave her a crooked smile.

"But you said sex relieves stress."

"That's not exactly what I meant. I mean - oh, never mind. It's been a long day." He sighed before pecking her lips. "Goodnight, milady."

"Goodnight." She nestled into his embrace and, smiling, closed her eyes. As she lay there, she began to list in her head the reasons why she loved Hiccup.

It is safe to say that she fell asleep before she could even finish.

...

"Is something wrong, dear?" Valka asked as she stepped out of the kitchen to see Astrid in one of the sitting room chairs, her head in her hands. Hiccup was out patrolling the island on Toothless while the boys were taking naps upstairs.

Astrid looked up at her mother-in-law and sighed. "Just everything."

"Care to explain?" Pulling up a second seat, Valka settled beside her.

"Well, you know I decided to step down from this whole chief assistant thing to take care of my babies."

"Yes, Astrid. And I also know it must have been a difficult choice for you to make."

Astrid nodded. "I just feel like I'm making Hiccup look bad and creating more problems for him than he already has. Though if I were to keep helping him out, I feel like I'd be neglecting the kids."

"I know the feeling, sweetheart. You're definitely not alone. When Hiccup was only a baby, I had to choose between making Stoick's life miserable - and maybe even Hiccup's, too - by refusing to kill dragons and running away so I could follow my heart and keep the dragons safe from harm."

"That must've been awful," murmured Astrid.

"It was. You don't know how happy I was to see my son's face again." She sighed and shook her head. "But anyway, dear, you gotta think about what you feel you should be doing with your life."

"I feel like I should be a mother. But I also feel responsible for helping Hiccup. I mean, I'd hate to grow apart from him because we don't train dragons and get into trouble exploring new species together anymore."

"I wouldn't worry about that. You're his darling. He loves you like I've never seen anyone love before." Valka smiled and rested her hand on Astrid's arm.

Astrid smiled back. "But -"

"He knows what he's getting himself into. I mean, I don't wanna embarrass you or anything, but it takes two to make a baby."

"Sometimes I just think that everyone else is right, though. I probably shamed Berk by turning from a strong warrior to a simple housewife and mother." Sighing, Astrid looked down at her lap.

"Oh, Astrid. Being a mother is more than you think. Anyone can train to fight, but only some women have the special strength it takes to be a good mother."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a very physically and emotionally demanding job, dear. You go through pregnancy, birth, sleepless nights, worrying, protecting, and so much more. And it only gets worse as they grow up. But let me tell you - I can already say that you're one of the best mothers I've met."

A huge smile spread upon Astrid's face. "Thank you so much." She reached over to hug Valka.

"It's nothing, sweetheart. Now, take your talent and examine it. Maybe you'll find a new way to use it that will make you feel better."

...

Two months had passed. Astrid was sitting on the porch of her and Hiccup's home, surrounded by children. After her talk with Valka, she and Hiccup had together decided that Berk needed a safe place for the kids to go during those times when parents were just a little too busy to pay them the attention that they deserved. Thus, she had offered to care for the little ones of the town for a few hours during the day.

"How are things going?" Hiccup asked, climbing off of Toothless and plopping down beside his wife.

"Great. I think Ander's found himself a girlfriend." She smiled and pointed toward their eldest son, who was handing a small bouquet of wildflowers to a girl who looked about the same age as him.

"Our kids sure are growing up fast, aren't they?" Hiccup kissed her cheek.

She nodded. "Maybe faster than I'd like."

He brushed her hair out of her eyes. "Speaking of kids, how's the little one in your tummy doing?"

"She's been moving around all day. I think she's getting anxious to come out and meet her daddy."

"'She?'"

Astrid smiled. "Yup. My intuition tells me that you're finally gonna get your baby girl." Resting her cheek on Hiccup's shoulder, she grabbed his hand and gave it a loving squeeze.

"Well, I hope it's as accurate as last time. But I can't get my hopes up too much."

"You saying you don't trust my instincts?"

"Yes, I mean, no, but -"

Astrid punched his arm. "That's for doubting me."

Before she could move in to kiss him, he pecked her lips himself. "And that's for everything else," he said with a smile, looking out once more at the children.

Again, him and Astrid had proved something to Berk. Motherhood was something to be proud of, and, contrary to the previous beliefs of the people, it could be more useful than one could imagine. Of course, Snotlout hadn't changed his opinion much, but that was hopefully about to differ, as Ruffnut was expecting a child.

He was in for the shock of his life, and Hiccup and Astrid were more than happy to sit back and watch while enjoying the family they had of their own.


	5. Hey Astrid

**_Hey Astrid_**

**_..._**

**This oneshot is probably my favorite one I've done so far. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did:)**

**SUMMARY: Just random drabbles on Hiccup asking Astrid little questions throughout various stages of their relationship. Hiccstrid fluff.**

**...**

"Hey Astrid, have you ever wondered how many stars there actually are?" Hiccup was lying in the grass beside Astrid, looking up at the night sky that stood before them. They were supposed to be resting before continuing on their journey in the morning, but neither of them could fall asleep. Therefore, they had decided to take a midnight ride on Toothless, who had taken them to a small clearing that provided a beautiful view of what was above.

"What kind of stupid question is that?" asked Astrid, gently elbowing him.

"It's not stupid. I'm serious. I wish I could count them all."

"That's just childish." She shook her head, a smile of amusement playing on her lips. Even after months of constantly hanging out with Hiccup, she still never ceased to be surprised at the things that came out of his mouth. Most of them were ridiculous, but yet adorable - though she'd never admit to the latter aloud.

"But think of it, Astrid. We're only seeing part of the sky here. There must be lots more somewhere else."

"If you don't shut up, the only place you'll be seeing stars is around your head after I knock some sense into that brain of yours."

"Wow, that was uncalled for." Sitting up, he rubbed the back of his neck. Somehow, he always managed to mess things up.

"Your stupidity is uncalled for," she shot back, tossing a twig at him. "But you're still kinda cool anyway."

...

"Hey Astrid," Hiccup started. "Have you ever wondered why hugs always make you feel better?"

"I don't like hugs," Astrid muttered. She was sitting on the ground, angry after losing a dragon race to Snotlout. She could have won, but she'd been clumsy enough to fall from the saddle.

A lopsided smile appeared on his face. "Of course you do." He lowered himself down beside her and wrapped his arms about her small waist. A year had passed since they became official, and Hiccup had finally learned how and when to be affectionate toward her without getting killed.

"Do not." She punched him in the arm.

He pulled her closer. "Do too."

She sighed. "Fine. I like hugs. But only from you." Realizing what she had just said, she quickly added, "Don't you dare tell anyone I said that, though."

"You got it, milady."

...

"Hey Astrid, have you ever wondered what the rest of the world is like?" Hiccup was on the couch of Astrid's sitting room, her head resting in his lap as she lay down.

"Why would I care about that?" she asked. Time had passed, and she'd grown from an awkward, messy-haired, tough, and stubborn teenager into a beautiful - but still tough and stubborn - young woman. However, her personality was softer when she was with Hiccup, as she felt her guard didn't need to be up around him anymore.

"Because we've lived on this little island our whole lives. Don't you ever get curious?"

Shrugging, she sat up and cuddled against his arm. "I guess sometimes."

He smiled down at her and have her hand a loving squeeze. Just as he was about to lean in to kiss her lips, he was distracted by the smell of fire. "What in the name of Thor is -"

"My bread!" Astrid exclaimed, running into the kitchen. She opened the oven to reveal two loaves of thoroughly burnt bread. She'd never been a good cook, but since she was growing older, she had resolved to improve her skills in case she and Hiccup ever decided to marry and start a family.

He followed her, amusement written on his face. "You know, you're just as big of a klutz as I am sometimes, milady."

"You shut up!" She punched his stomach, then, feeling slightly guilty for her outburst, pecked his lips.

...

"Hey Astrid." Rubbing his neck, Hiccup struggled to control his nerves. "Have you ever wondered how it would feel to be...to be..."

"To be what?" Astrid prompted, raising an eyebrow. She and her boyfriend had just finished cleaning up the dragon academy after a day of training and were about to head to his house for dinner.

"Uh...um..." He froze, his cheeks darkening in color.

"You know babe, if you're afraid of looking stupid, don't be. You've embarrassed yourself in front of me so many times. I mean..."

Taking a deep breath, Hiccup began again. "Astrid, have you ever wondered how it would feel to be...well...married?"

A smile crept across her face as she jumped onto him, her legs wrapping around his waist and her arms hugging his neck.

"Woah there," he said, struggling to keep his balance. Once he was steady, he embraced her in return.

Astrid, who was typically good at concealing her emotions, fought to stop the tears of joy that were flowing from her eyes.

"Wait, are you...are you _crying_?" Hiccup questioned, a wave of panic washing through him.

She didn't respond.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry. I just...well...I was just wondering if you'd ever wondered." As soon as the words left his mouth, he cursed himself. How much dumber could he possibly sound?

Taking one of her arms from around him, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and smiled up at him. "I actually have. But there's only one way to find out how it is for sure."

"Well, would you want to find out with me?"

"Nothing would make me happier," she responded, leaning in to kiss him.


	6. Emotions

**_Emotions_**

**_..._**

**SUMMARY: Heather arrives on Berk and begins getting close to Hiccup. Astrid becomes not only jealous, but upset, as she is having a rough time in her life and feels that she no longer has anyone to go to with her problems. A bit OOC and not necessarily canon to "The Heather Report" episodes.**

**...**

Hiccup groaned as he opened his eyes. It was still dark, but yet some sound had awoken him. Looking across the room, he could just make out the shape of Toothless, who appeared to be fast asleep. _Whatever, _he shrugged. _I guess it was nothing to worry about. _He pulled his covers up and began to settle back to bed.

_Knock, knock._

He sighed. The noise was obviously someone at the door, but who could be there at this hour of the night? He debated with himself about whether or not he should answer when he heard the visitor speak.

"Hiccup, it's me. Open up."

_Astrid. Of course. _Slipping off the couch, he put on his metal leg and walked over to let her in. She appeared to be just as exhausted as he was, and definitely was not properly dressed. Her hair was undone, her feet were bare, and she was wearing a faded blue nightgown that grazed her knees. A blanket was tucked underneath her arm. This was unusual. Typically, if she disturbed his sleep at such a late - or rather early - hour, she was in full armor and had her dragon by her side, as her midnight visits typically signaled the discovery of danger. Nevertheless, his mind still switched over to the protective mode he often used around her. "Is everything okay? What are you doing here?"

She nodded. "Everything's fine. It's just that...well, I was having a lot of trouble sleeping, so I was uh...wondering if I could spend the rest of the night at your place." A bit of pink tinted her cheeks.

"Um...okay..." Hiccup was confused. It was not like Astrid to act in this timid manner. "But Heather's up in my room, so you're gonna have to be downstairs with me if you want to sleep here." A couple weeks ago, Snotlout had discovered a shipwrecked girl by the sea. After Hiccup had convinced the newcomer that no one was out to harm her, she'd revealed that her name was Heather and that she had gotten into trouble on a family journey. Both her parents had died during the incident, leaving her scared, alone, and confused. Being the sympathetic person Hiccup was, he had offered her a place to stay in his house, and even had given her his bedroom for the time being.

Astrid rolled her eyes. She had not taken as kindly to Heather as Hiccup and the rest of his friends had, and made no move to hide that fact. "I don't mind. Just let me stay, please."

"Okay, then. Make yourself at home." With a shrug, he walked back to the couch, aware that she was following close behind him. "What?" he asked, turning to face her again. "Do you want to sleep here? If that's the case, it's fine with me. I'll just take the floor."

"I do. But it's alright. There'll be room for the both of us if we try."

"Erm..." He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. Why was she doing this? He knew she was more touchy around him than anyone else, as he was the only one she'd willingly hug, but he would've never guessed that she would suddenly turn this clingy. It was definitely out of character for her. "Uh..."

"Come on. Get in and scoot over."

His heart racing, Hiccup removed his metal leg and slid onto the cushions. He froze as Astrid climbed beside him and rolled out her blanket.

"Why..."

"Shut up." Kicking his shin, she snuggled farther beneath the covers.

He laid a hand on her shoulder. "I know something's wrong, Astrid. You sure you don't wanna talk about it?"

"I'm fine. I just wanted some company." She turned around and nuzzled into his chest.

"Uh..."

"Just let it go."

"Well, whatever it is that's bothering you, I'm sure everything will be okay soon." He hesitantly wrapped his arms around her waist and instantly felt her body relax beneath his touch.

"It better be," she muttered as she hugged him back. "Now, be quiet and let me sleep."

...

When morning came, Hiccup awoke to the feeling of someone elbowing him in the side. Upon opening his eyes, he saw that it was Astrid. At first he was confused as to why she was in his house, but soon the events of the past night came back to him. "What is up with you?" he asked her.

"_She _was asking for you," said Astrid with disgust as she jabbed her thumb toward the brunette standing beside the couch.

"Oh." Hiccup sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Good morning, Heather. What can I do for you?"

"I'm not feeling well," Heather groaned, clutching her stomach. "I think I ate something that didn't agree with me last night."

He sensed Astrid, who was now sitting almost on top of him, tense up. Placing a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her, he told Heather, "Go back to bed and rest. If you're not any better by the afternoon, I'll go get Gothi to look at you."

Heather froze. "Well, actually...I...I don't think it's anything serious. I just...I think all I need is a little air."

"You're free to step outside if you'd like."

"Actually, Hiccup...I...I was...I was wondering if um...if you could take me out for a ride on Toothless."

He glanced over to see Astrid glaring at Heather. For the first time, he noticed that the blonde not only looked angry, but also hurt. Taking a deep breath, he said, "I'd love to, but I can't just ditch Astrid."

"But...but it's for me." Heather coyly batted her eyelashes.

"He said he can't," cut in Astrid, her voice harsh. "Now back off before I get my axe and stab you in the throat."

"If you don't mind me asking, why exactly are you here, Astrid?" Heather bit her lip.

"None of your business, you dimwit." Crossing her arms over her chest, Astrid leaned forward.

"Alright, alright, break it up," said Hiccup. "Heather, why don't you go to the wash room and get yourself a bath? Astrid, you and I need to talk."

"Damn right we do," Astrid muttered.

Without another word, Heather trudged down the hall.

Hiccup attached his metal leg. "Alright, Astrid. Let's go." Standing up, he held out his hand, which Astrid readily grabbed.

"Where are you taking me, exactly?" she asked.

He smiled. "You'll just have to wait and see."

...

Within a half hour, Hiccup and Astrid were seated in patch of sand, looking out over the sea. Normally, this was Hiccup's secret alone spot for those times he wished to take time to reflect upon things without interruption, but now he'd decided that he would share it with Astrid.

"So, tell me what's on your mind," he said.

She sighed as she threw a stone into the water. "Nothing."

"Come on. I don't believe that." He reached over to curl his fingers around hers. "I got rid of Heather for a while for the sole purpose of talking to you. I really care about how you're doing."

Her lip trembled. Before long, tears began to trickle down her cheeks.

Hiccup froze. What was he to do? It wasn't like Astrid to cry. She never cried. Ever. He hadn't even considered crying to be in her range of emotional expressions.

"I...I'm just having a hard time," she began. "And you...you're supposed to be the one I can trust, and you're never there for me anymore. The...the only person you pay attention to anymore is that two-faced bitch Heather."

Shocked, he looked towards the ground, not knowing how to respond.

"Do you even realize?" she shouted.

Switching into his protective mode, he pulled her into a tight hug. "Shh. It's okay, Astrid. I'm here."

Her soft tears turned into sobs. Nestling into the crook of his neck, she wrapped her arms about him.

"Everything will be fine," he reassured.

After a while, her crying settled down to a few sniffles. Lifting her head, she began with, "You...you don't know, but...but my parents have been gone on a trip. They said it was only gonna be a week, but it's been more like a month. Every day, I wake up alone, go to sleep alone, and eat my crappy cooking alone. All I've been needing has been a hug and someone to talk to. And you're supposed to be the one I can trust with these things, but you've been too busy getting cozy with your new girlfriend and -"

"_Girlfriend? _Astrid, she's not any more than a casual friend and house guest that I kinda felt sorry for."

"But -"

"But who's the one I cuddled up to sleep with last night? Who's the one I just let cry on my shoulder for who knows how long?"

A deep blush settled onto her cheeks.

Hiccup shifted his gaze for a moment. When he looked back at Astrid's distraught face, he said, "I...I like you, Astrid. I really, really like you. As in, I like you more than just a best friend." His voice was barely a whisper. "Heather means nothing to me." Taking his thumb, he wiped a few tears off her face and watched as a small smile played on the corners of her lips.

"Well, I like you, too...more than just a best friend," she admitted.

He grinned. "So..."

"So..."

"So..." His face grew warm. Rubbing the back of his neck, he tried to continue. "Uh...um...do you...erm...wanna be...um...do you...wanna be...uh...my...erm...my girlfriend?"

"Nah." She punched him, then let out a small giggle and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "Just kidding. Of course I want to."

Hiccup smiled. "You do realize that this gives me permission to give you big dragon hugs whenever I want?" He squeezed her around the middle, bringing her close to his chest.

"I don't mind," she insisted, returning his embrace.

"Then we're good." He shyly pressed his lips to the top of her head. "Now, tell me more about your parents."

She took a deep breath. "Well, I...I'm worried and upset. But mostly upset. I understand they need to travel, but I wish they would remember me sometimes. I mean, this isn't the first time they've left for longer than they said. And I...I'm not as strong as they think, but I don't wanna make myself sound weak by telling them I sometimes get so stressed out over this that I cry."

"Everyone cries sometimes. It doesn't mean you're weak."

"But Hiccup, this is the Hofferson family we're talking about. We're the ones who are supposed to be the best fighters and, according to my dad, the ones who should be running Berk."

"Well, what I learned as that sometimes parents are wrong. Trust me, I'd know more than anyone. My dad tried to change who I was for years, he killed innocent dragons, and he even attempted to arrange a marriage agreement between me and Ruffnut." He shook his head. "Luckily, I got him to change his mind about everything, but still..."

"This...this marriage agreement thing...is he still looking for someone for you?"

"Gladly, he gave up. But he's still not happy that I'm already sixteen and don't have plans to marry yet." On Berk, it was customary for marriage to occur by age eighteen. "But don't worry; I won't let him rush things between us. I think we should give ourselves a good year or two before deciding if we could stand each other for life."

He felt her smile against the fabric of his shirt, which caused a grin of his own to spread upon his face. His hands rubbed her back and his nose nuzzled into her hair, allowing him to take in her outdoorsy - yet sweet - scent. For the longest time, the two of them sat there, doing nothing except cuddling with each other.

"Alright," Hiccup said eventually. "Now that we've had our little talk, we'd better be getting home. It looks like it's about time for lunch." He gave Astrid one last tight squeeze, then finally released her from his arms. It was then he realized that nearly all of his morning - and his night - had been spent simply holding her. _Definitely something I could get used to, _he told himself.

"Come on, you slowpoke," she urged. She was already on her feet and ready to start the walk back.

Hiccup stood up, only to be met by a punch in the arm. "Ouch!"

"That's for making me think you and Heather were dating." Astrid then quickly grabbed him and kissed his lips. "And that's for...everything else." She smiled up at him.

He grinned - half about the kiss and half because she seemed to be back to her normal self. Although clingy Astrid had been kind of cute, he much preferred to see her energetic and happy than crying and in emotional pain.

After the two shared one more brief hug, she shouted, "Race you back home!"

"But -"

Laughing, she sprinted off.

"This is so _not _fair!" he called, running after her.

"It's not supposed to be!"

When they finally reached the house, Hiccup grabbed Astrid's hand. "Come on, milady. I bet you're starving."

"Well, I wouldn't exactly say I was _starving_, but food would be nice."

He opened the door to reveal Heather sitting alone in a chair, her knees tucked in underneath her chin. "Hi," he greeted.

"I was worried," Heather spoke, her voice nearly a whisper. She stood up and shyly approached Hiccup, her arms unfolding for a hug.

"Woah, easy there." He held up his free hand.

"But -" Heather's cheeks turned red.

"We're official now," explained Astrid. "Me and Hiccup."

"Official as in..."

"I'm his girlfriend, he's my boyfriend."

"Oh." Blushing, Heather turned away and rushed upstairs, obviously upset and embarrassed.

"She really has a thing for you," observed Astrid, breaking her hand free from Hiccup's grasp. She then plopped onto the couch.

"Well, she'll just have to be disappointed, won't she?" He sat beside her.

"I can't really blame her, I guess." She shrugged. "After all, you are pretty cute. And you give the best cuddles. I mean, not that I've actually ever been hugged or cuddled by anyone else other than my parents when I was a baby. And even that I'm unsure of."

"Well, I know it's kind of a Viking thing to not get too touchy, but in my opinion, everyone should have a little bit of love every now and then."

"Yeah," she began quietly. "And as...as much as I hate to admit it, sometimes when I'd hug you before because I thought you needed it, it was actually because I needed it, too. If that makes any sense." Her cheeks tinted red.

"It does." He rose from the couch and walked into the kitchen, appearing again a moment later with two plates of roasted fish and buttered bread that his father had left for him and Heather. Hiccup knew it was a bit rude to take Heather's food and give it to Astrid, but he was nearly certain she would not be showing her face downstairs anytime soon.

"Thanks," Astrid said, taking the offered dish.

"No problem." He took up his spot beside her again. "Now, where were we?"

"Uh...we were talking about hugging."

"Oh, right. Well anyway, don't be embarrassed to ask me to hug or cuddle you. As your boyfriend, my job is to support you and make you feel safe and happy, and I would never judge you for needing comfort or being um...emotional."

"Got it." She nodded as she spoke. "But just never, _ever, _under penalty of being smacked over the head with my axe, tell _anyone _about my weak moments."

"I won't. I promise."

"Good." She sighed. "By the way, as much as I find Heather annoying, I think it's only fair for us to go up and try to talk to her about this whole thing again. I mean, I'm just thinking of how I felt when I thought you liked her, and to be honest, it's the crappiest feeling in the world to realize that the person you like doesn't like you back."

"Alright. But don't you think we should actually get dressed after this?" He glanced down at his nightclothes - which looked almost like his daytime clothing but faded and without the vest - then turned his gaze toward Astrid, who was still in her nightgown.

"Then I'd have to go home, you dumbhead." She elbowed his side.

"And how long were you planning on staying here?"

"Um...could I sleep over again tonight?"

"Sure." He shrugged.

The two talked some more as they ate. Once they were done, they both headed to Hiccup's room, where they found Heather curled up on the bed. Her eyes were puffy and red. Evidentially, she'd been crying.

"Heather, we came here to talk to you," Hiccup began, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Astrid immediately joined him.

"I...I know. You two are together," sniffled Heather.

"Hey, let's be honest here. Astrid and I have liked each other for a while now. And I don't...I don't have the same feelings for you that I have for her," he continued.

"You don't have to rub it in, Hiccup. I get it. You and Astrid are meant to be."

"Exactly," Astrid cut in. "But just in a less sappy way than that."

"Now Astrid, you were the one who said we needed to fix things," Hiccup reminded. "Not make them worse."

"Right. Sorry."

"Alright, but to continue, we're not trying to be mean or anything. It's just that -"

"We can't have you sticking your nose in and causing us problems," finished Astrid.

Heather simply nodded.

"And this doesn't mean you can't hang out with us and be friends," Hiccup clarified. "However, it does mean no more dragon rides with me alone."

Astrid clenched her hands into fists. "I swear, if I see you and Hiccup by yourselves on Toothless I'll kill him, then I'll kill you."

"Astrid," he spoke gently. Then, turning his attention back to Heather, he said, "But, I was thinking that maybe we could get you your own dragon and you could join the Dragon Academy."

"Hiccup, what -" Astrid began.

"Come on, milady. She's smart and gets along fine with Toothless and the others. She has potential."

There was no response.

"Don't be jealous. No one's replacing you."

"I'm not jealous!" she snapped. "I'm just...this isn't what I had in mind."

"Well, am I invited to the Academy or..." Heather broke in.

"Yes. Just as long as you can respect Astrid and I."

"And if you don't, I'll slice your leg off," threatened the blonde.

"Uh, Astrid..." Hiccup said, looking down at the piece of metal that replaced his lower left leg.

Astrid punched him lightly. "Suck it up, you big baby."

...

Three months later, the drama on Berk had settled down. Heather had successfully become a member of the Dragon Academy - something Astrid had given Hiccup a hard time about for a while. However, she had eventually realized that Heather was not a threat, and seemed to be a pretty okay person, too. Maybe it was the fact that she had actually gotten to properly interact with the newcomer and see a different side of her. But also, it could've been because Heather had found a love interest in Fishlegs, who spent nearly all his time writing her poems and singing her songs. Because of this, the brunette had become less focused on her broken "relationship" with Hiccup and more involved in getting to know her new companion. Embarrassingly, Astrid had admitted that she even thought she and Heather could become good friends. After all, they were both in the same position - kind of. Astrid's parents were never around and Heather's were dead, so they could relate to one another about not having the love and care of a mother and father, and always feeling the need to work harder and sometimes prove themselves to make up for the fact that they were on their own.

While on the subject of Astrid's parents, it must be said that they were official wanderers. They were scarcely home for more than a day anymore, as they insisted upon exploring and traveling to visit with other tribes. That being said, Astrid usually stayed at Hiccup's house one or two nights a week. Though Hiccup had told her she didn't need to be shy about her emotions around him - and she had loosened up about that a _lot _\- she still had too much pride to act excessively dependent on him. Besides, it would have been weird to cuddle up with her boyfriend every time she slept. They weren't _married, _after all. Yet. But the Viking tradition of being wed by eighteen would take care of that soon enough.

And despite their little fights and disagreements, there was no one either of them would rather be with.


	7. Neglected

**_Neglected _**

**_..._**

**This is a short fic set in my universe from ****_Not So Ideal _****and ****_Motherhood. _****It happens about three and a half years later. To clarify things for readers, I made this chart of the Haddock household: **

**Valka Haddock: 50 yrs.**

**Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III: 28 yrs.**

**Astrid Hofferson Haddock: 28 yrs.**

**Ander Stoick Haddock: 7 yrs.**

**Flynn Jarl Haddock: 5 1/2 yrs.**

**Emmaline Astrid Haddock: 3 1/2 yrs.**

**Brant Alistair Haddock and Torben Giles Haddock: 1 1/2 yrs.**

**Inga Lizabet Haddock: 2 mos. (Just a note: her name means "hero's daughter" - thought that was cute)**

**SUMMARY: Three-year-old Emmaline Haddock feels lost and neglected amongst her five siblings. How will her parents make her feel loved again? Family fluff. Minor Hiccstrid. Somewhat OOC. **

**Also, tell me if you want more Haddock family stories like this:)**

**...**

"Daddy!" cried three-year-old Emmaline Haddock as she ran over to her father and grabbed his arm. "Daddy, Mama needs you!"

"What's going on now?" Hiccup, her father, asked with his familiar crooked smile. He was standing outside his home beside his dragon, Toothless. The two of them had just returned from a flight.

"Dunno. She just told me to find you." The little blonde girl shrugged, the careless expression on her face reminding Hiccup of his wife, Astrid.

"Well, I'd best be going to see what's up." He lifted his daughter into his arms and carried her into the house with him. There, he saw Astrid sitting on the couch whilst nursing their newest baby - Inga Lizabet Haddock. "Good to see you, my darling," he greeted, releasing Emmaline before pressing a quick kiss onto the tip of Astrid's nose. He then pecked her lips. "Em said you needed me?"

"No, not really. I just wondered if you had made it home yet and she was getting bored with me feeding Inga, so I decided to give her something to do."

"So I rushed in here for nothing?" He plopped down beside her.

"Daddy, play with me!" Emmaline shouted, grabbing a stick from the corner of the room and waving it in the air.

"Watch it, Em," Hiccup reminded. "I don't want you hurting yourself or others."

Astrid twisted around so her back was settled against the arm of the couch, her bare feet resting in Hiccup's lap.

"But I want you to play!" the little girl whined.

"Soon," Hiccup promised, running his hands over Astrid's toes in a soothing manner. "Let me just relax with Mama for now."

As Inga pulled away from her breast, Astrid adjusted her clothing for modesty and kissed the baby's head. "How'd the ride go?" she asked her husband.

"Good. We took a little bit of a longer route than usual since he hadn't been out in a couple days." Between his family and his chief duties, Hiccup was finding that he did not have as much time to spend with his dragon. "Where are the other kids?" He moved his fingers down over the bottom of her feet and towards her heel.

"Ander and Flynn are hanging out with Fishlegs and Meatlug. The twins are napping."

"Oh, okay. Have they been driving you crazy all day?"

"Brant, Torben, and Em - yes. Brant and Torben got into a fight over their toys, then when I tried to take them outside with me to feed Stormfly, they ran out of the yard and started heading for the neighbors' bonfire." Stormfly was Astrid's dragon, who had found a close companion in Toothless.

"And what did Em do?"

"She hit Flynn, talked back at me when I told her she needed to help clear the table after lunch, and has been complaining all day that I couldn't play a game she wanted me to."

"Let me have a talk with her," sighed Hiccup, gently pushing his wife's feet off of his legs.

"Go ahead. I'm gonna get ready to pick up Ander and Flynn."

"Don't worry. I got it. I'll bring Em and we can talk on the way."

"You sure?"

"Darling, you look exhausted. Just stay here and relax a bit while the twins and Inga are asleep." He glanced over at his baby girl, who was resting peacefully in her mother's arms.

She smiled. "Thanks. And thanks for the foot rub too, babe. I needed that."

"You're welcome." He stood up. "Emmy!"

Emmaline ran out of the kitchen, a slice of buttered bread in her hand. "Grandma gave me a snack."

"That's fine, sweetie." Hiccup smiled. "And by the way, you're gonna come with me to get Ander and Flynn from Fishlegs' place."

"Can I ride on your back?"

"Sure." He knelt down and waited as his daughter climbed onto him. Once she was settled, he made his way out the door. "Em, I need to talk to you about something."

"Hm?"

"Mama said you were bad today."

"Was not!"

"She said you hit Flynn, then were disrespectful to her when she asked you to do one of your chores."

"But Flynn was a dumbhead!" she shouted. She had learned that expression from her mother, as Astrid often used it affectionately on Hiccup.

"Sweetie, that's not nice, nor is it an excuse to hit others."

Emmaline was silent.

"And you can't disrespect your mama, either. When she asks you to do something, you need to do it _without _complaining. You also may not keep bugging her to play. She's very busy with your new sister, and you end up making her mad when you nag."

"I hate my sister!" the little girl shouted.

"Emmaline Astrid Haddock, stop." He lifted her off of him and placed her on the ground so he could bend down and look her in the eye. "That is rude."

Tears welled in Emmaline's eyes. "Daddy, you and Mama don't even love me!"

Hiccup felt a twinge of concern. "What makes you say that, Em? Of course we love you."

She shook her head as her body began to tremble with sobs.

His heart nearly split in two as he took her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. She was only three; how could she feel neglected? Him and Astrid must have really went wrong - but it was most likely all his fault. It always was. His whole life had been spend screwing up.

Emmaline hugged Hiccup's neck and buried her face in his shoulder. "I just want you and Mama to love me!"

"We do, Emmy." He held her closer and continued to walk, making a note to himself to talk to Astrid about the situation that night.

...

"Astrid, I need to tell you something," Hiccup began as his wife entered the room, a sleeping Inga curled in her arms. Before their babies were able to sleep through the night, they stayed in a small crib in the master bedroom.

"Can you wait until I get settled?" She handed her daughter to Hiccup, who was propped up in bed with pillows. "Here, hold her while I brush out my hair and change."

Cradling the baby, he smiled down at her.

Astrid quickly undid her braid and worked the tangles out of her waist-length golden locks. When she finished, she got into her favorite silk nightgown, then took Inga from Hiccup and placed her in the crib.

Hiccup waited until his wife was snuggled up beside him, then gently pushed some hair out of her eyes and kissed her cheek. "Darling, it seems we have a bit of a problem."

"What do you mean?"

He narrated his earlier discussion with Emmaline. "It's just so sad," he concluded. "I mean, who knew she was feeling rejected?"

"I...I guess it's my fault," Astrid decided.

"No, it's mine. If I hadn't been so focused on my chief duties these past few weeks, none of this would have happened."

"But I'm to blame, too. I mean, I've kind of been devoting too much time to the twins and Inga."

"That's because they're the youngest ones. They need a little more attention."

"True, but I could still have been more mindful of our Emmy."

Just then, the doorknob twisted. Emmaline appeared in the room a second later. "Daddy, you didn't kiss me before bed."

Hiccup slapped his forehead. In his haste to get the children settled to sleep so he could talk with Astrid, kissing them goodnight had slipped his mind. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart," he apologized. "Come here."

Emmaline climbed onto the bed. After her father pressed a kiss onto her forehead, she crawled beneath the covers. "I wanna stay here."

Hiccup exchanged a glance with Astrid, who nodded her approval. "Alright, that's fine," he told his daughter, tucking the blankets about her small body. He watched as a smile lit up Emmaline's face.

"Hey babe," Astrid said. She moved closer to Emmaline, who separated her from her husband.

"What?" asked Hiccup.

"I need some love, too," she reminded, lightly punching his arm. After the distraction with Emmaline, he had neglected to properly kiss her.

"Of course." Leaning in, Hiccup kissed her lips. "I love you, darling." He then turned toward his daughter. "I love you, too, Em."

"Love you, Daddy," spoke Emmaline.

"I love you, Hiccup," Astrid said. "And you, Emmy." She kissed the little girl's cheek and pulled her in for a hug.

"Mama, I love you," Emmaline smiled.

"Come here, Astrid." Hiccup slid in closer to his wife and daughter and put an arm around Astrid's waist, causing the three of them to be shoved into a small pile.

Emmaline cuddled against Astrid's chest and gripped Hiccup's free wrist with her tiny hand. Astrid nestled a bit closer to Hiccup and laid her head in the crook of his neck. Not much time passed before sleep overtook them.

And until morning, they would all rest with smiles upon their faces, enjoying the love they shared as a family.


	8. Sleep

**_Sleep_**

**_..._**

**I feel like I owe an explanation about why Hiccstrid had so many children in my last post, as I'm getting questions about that. So at the risk of TMI, Hiccstrid are in a time where birth control wasn't in existence. I'm sure they could find ways to avoid pregnancy, but they love each other a ****_lot. _****Since neither of them is great with using words to express themselves, they use actions to show it. And there's no stronger, more intimate and closer way for them to show their love than, well, sex. As a result, they get lots of babies. But they really do love each other (as well as their kids), so it's all worth it for them both in the end:)**

**Anyway, here's the summary for this little drabble that's completely unrelated to my stories about the Haddock family. It's kind of a headcanon I have about what their marriage is like so yeah...this time there's no real summary - just a quote at the beginning. **

**...**

_"__You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams."_

Hiccup crept into the bedroom he and Astrid shared, taking care not to disturb her. It was two weeks after their wedding, and this was the first night since then that he'd been kept outside with chief duties until such a late hour. He was not too thrilled with it, as he wanted to be able to savor time with his new wife. But what needed to be done had to be done, so he did not bother complaining. After all, it would do no good.

Lighting a small candle, he made his way to the corner of the room. It was then that he heard Astrid groan. "You finally back, babe?"

"I am." He began removing his armor. "And sorry I woke you, Astrid. I was _trying_ to be quiet."

Astrid smiled. "I wasn't sleeping. I was actually waiting for you."

"Why? You didn't have to do that."

"I know." She sighed. "It's just that I _tried _to sleep, but I couldn't." A smirk appeared on her face as he took off his top.

He cast her a disapproving - yet playful - look. "Nice attempt. But I'm a bit tired for uh..._activities_...now." Almost every night since the wedding ceremony, Hiccup and Astrid had taken the time to pour out their love for one another in the strongest way they knew how. After all, neither of them were - and never had been - great with words, so it was simpler for them to actually _show _how they felt.

"Hey, it doesn't mean I can't still look."

He shook his head. Once he had finished changing into more comfortable clothes, he blew out the candle and sat on the edge of the bed. After unstrapping his metal leg, he finally joined Astrid beneath the covers. "So, tell me why you couldn't sleep."

"I was lonely."

"Lonely? That's nonsense, milady. You spent years sleeping alone up until a couple weeks ago."

She responded by slowly shifting closer to Hiccup.

"What do you want?"

"I don't _want _anything. I _need_ you to hold me." After the first few days of marriage, the couple had figured out something unexpected: Astrid was definitely the more cuddly one in bed. While Hiccup enjoyed receiving mild hugs, she preferred to cling to him with a near death grip whilst her head nestled against his chest. She liked his arms locked about her waist, and it was a bonus if he kissed her hair as she fell asleep.

Sighing, he wrapped his arms around her. It wasn't that he didn't want to be close, it was just that he was still hot from speeding home on Toothless, and would have been happy to simply hold hands with his wife whilst they slept. "You are a _very _spoiled young woman, Astrid Haddock," he remarked. "I hope you realize that."

"Spoiled? No, I don't think so. But lucky? Yes." She gripped him about his middle and allowed her legs to tangle with his as she found her favorite place on his chest and snuggled there.

"Lucky I love you," Hiccup added, leaning down. "Now, let me see your beautiful face."

She looked up. Almost instantly, his lips connected with hers. "I love you, too," she reciprocated once they had pulled away from each other. "And you know why else I couldn't sleep?"

"Why?"

She curled back into his chest. "Because I don't believe this is real unless you're here. I'm scared that if I fall asleep alone, I'll wake up and find out that I've only been dreaming about us finally being husband and wife."

Despite that he was still a bit uncomfortable from the heat, Hiccup smiled down at her. And whilst sleep took over her body, he pressed soft kisses onto the top of her head.


	9. Insecurities

**_Insecurities _**

**_..._**

**So...I decided to write this because I believe Astrid does have her silly insecurities - like every girl does - even though she likes to act tough on the outside. It might seem OOC, but I feel like somewhere, she does have a bit of a sensitive side, so I just wanted to play around with that.**

**And I gotta add this: I made Astrid have a scar on her left eyebrow because it's kind of my headcanon. I think it would be adorable if it were real cause she'd have a scar on the left side, Hiccup would have a missing left foot, and Toothless would have a missing left tail. Aww, it makes me so happy and I don't know why.**

**SUMMARY: Astrid Hofferson has been told by everyone on the island of Berk that she's the "prettiest girl in the village." That is, everyone except for her boyfriend, Hiccup Haddock. But she did not believe one word of what anyone said. Hiccstrid fluff. A bit OOC at parts.**

**...**

Astrid Hofferson picked up her cracked, handheld mirror and held it to her face. Upon seeing her reflection, she wrinkled her nose and sighed. Everyone on the island of Berk referred to her as the "prettiest girl in the village." That is, everyone except for her boyfriend, Hiccup Haddock. But she did not believe one word of what anyone said.

She knew he liked her a _lot _\- maybe even _loved _her - and she always tried to convince herself that he found her at least somewhat attractive despite the fact that he had never told her so. And honestly, the absence of that reassurance was beginning to make her feel insecure. Yes, _the _fearless Astrid Hofferson had insecurities.

Taking up the mirror again, she examined the details of her face once more. A light sprinkling of freckles appeared over her cheeks and across the bridge of her nose. Her lips were dry, chapped, and cracked as a result of riding her dragon, Stormfly, through the chilly winds so often. Her teeth were a bit crooked, and a small gap rested between the two upper front ones. Moving her hair off of her left eye, she cringed at the sight of the scar that sliced through her dainty eyebrow, a mark left from a wound she had received as a result of falling into a sharp rock as a toddler. With a sigh, she then took one hand and unfastened her usual braid, allowing her long, blonde locks to fall across her shoulders. However, it was not a welcome sight to her. Instead, her thick waves appeared rather disheveled and damaged.

She tossed the mirror aside and glanced down at the small bumps beneath her top. As a result of intense training - which most viking girls did not dedicate as much time to as she did - and constantly binding her chest, she was, at nineteen years old, left with breasts that were barely big enough to fill the palms of her hands. In her opinion, they would never be sufficient for Hiccup. After all, he'd never even glanced at her chest. She would be mortified if they eventually married, as he would have to see her naked and likely would be disappointed with what she had.

It was the truth: she was not good-looking. Not at _all. _The only reason the others claimed her to be was because she was, inevitably, the most feminine young lady on the island - and all because she had a petite frame and a small waist.

Her lips set into a firm line as she snatched a pair of scissors. She was going to give herself a makeover in hopes that Hiccup would notice and tell her she was pretty. Grabbing the messy chunk of hair that lay in her face, she cut it so it was just grazing the area beneath her eyebrow scar. She then snipped a few inches off the waist-length edges and exchanged the scissors for a leather string. With some fumbling, she gathered her newly cut locks to the left side of her neck and began to fashion it into an intricate twist. It took her a few tries to get it just right, but she was satisfied with the end result.

The next thing she did was locate a small chunk of kohl and smudge it along the rims of her eyes. It was an exceptionally difficult task - perhaps even harder than the new hairstyle she'd just completed - but eventually, her blue eyes were elegantly lined with the make-up.

Biting the inside of her cheek, she studied herself in the mirror. She looked _different. _It was unclear to her as to whether it was a good kind of different or a bad kind, but there were definitely visible changes. After rubbing salve on her harsh lips, she selected a fur shawl from her wardrobe - something she never actually had worn before - and headed to her sitting room to wait for Hiccup to arrive for their dragon ride that evening.

...

_Knock, knock._

"Come in," Astrid called upon hearing the sound at the door. Her heart beat faster as she heard creaking, signaling the arrival of Hiccup. Would he notice her new look? Would he like it? Would it be enough for him to compliment her?

"Good evening, milady," Hiccup greeted with a smile. He made his way over to where she was sitting. Just as he was about to lean in for the usual kiss they shared upon meeting, he paused. "You...uh...Astrid, you're...you're different..." he stammered.

She cast her eyes towards the ground. "Yes," she replied softly, avoiding his gaze.

"Why, though? There was nothing...nothing _wrong _with you." He sat down beside her.

She felt a tear threaten to drip down her cheek. "I...I did it for you, Hiccup." Pulling herself together, she looked up again, but did not turn to face him.

"For...for me? But why? There's nothing that I didn't...that I didn't like about you."

Astrid was silent. She wasn't sure if she should believe him or not, nor did she know how to respond.

"What's the matter? Talk to me, Astrid. Please." He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I...I...I just wanted you to call me beautiful," she eventually choked out, her cheeks turning a deep shade of crimson.

"Oh darling, come here." Without waiting for her to make a move, Hiccup pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed the golden locks that rested atop her head. "You didn't need to do this. You...you've always been my beautiful girl."

"Then why have you never told me?" she mumbled against his chest. Her fingers gripped his shoulders, which had grown some muscle over the years.

"Because I thought...I thought you didn't want to hear it. I mean, every time someone else would say something about your looks, you'd roll your eyes and stomp off to slice trees with your axe. I just didn't want to risk getting myself killed."

"It's true. I _don't _like when the others dwell on my appearance because I feel like they aren't fully recognizing who I am. But you...you _know _me. You _know _I'm more than just a pretty - or, to be honest, troll-like - face. And with you being my boyfriend, I'd be happy to hear a compliment from you every now and then." She felt the tears finally start to fall and hoped that Hiccup wouldn't take notice. However, it was too late, for he was already placing his calloused fingers beneath her chin and lifting her face to meet his emerald gaze.

"You're beautiful," he whispered, using his free hand to lovingly wipe away her tears and brush over her freckles. "You were beautiful when I first saw you, and you're still beautiful now." Leaning in, he captured her lips with his own.

"Are you...you sure?" she questioned as they pulled away from each other.

"Positive." Flashing one of his crooked smiles, he bent down to give her a small peck on the mouth. "And I'll tell you what, milady. Since I screwed up, you can have three free punches to use on me. I promise I won't complain or roll my eyes - no matter how badly it hurts."

"Well, in that case..." She stood up. "Come on, let's go outside, babe. This isn't the kind of thing that would be pretty to do indoors."

"I doubt it'll be pretty outdoors, either," muttered Hiccup.

"Hey, no complaining, mister." She crossed her arms over her chest and watched in surprise as his eyes followed hungrily.

"Of...of course." He turned towards her face again. "Let's just get this over with."

She grabbed his hand and pulled him into her front yard. After using her fist to hit him in the stomach twice, she reached up and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Hiccup. Thanks for everything."

"You still...you get one more go at me," he reminded, bewilderment written in his eyes.

"I know, babe. I'm saving it for when you do something even dumber than this." She put on a smirk before turning in the direction of his Night Fury. "Now, let's get on with this dragon ride before it's time to cook tomorrow's breakfast."


	10. Bath

**_Bath _**

**_..._**

**So...I know I've been posting drabbly stuff lately, but it just keep getting the urges to write short things like this. I was not intending to actually write this one out, but the idea just kept bothering me over the last few days so yeah...it's not my best work, but I still thought it was kind of cute in a way, so take from it what you will.**

**SUMMARY: Astrid wants to take a bath in peace. However, her new husband Hiccup has other ideas. Not as dirty as it sounds; there is no actual sex, but there is some mild lust. But it's mostly humor/fluff:)**

**...**

Astrid Haddock smiled as she climbed over the side of the large washtub and sank down into the warm water. This was her first full bath since marrying Berk's chief, Hiccup Haddock, only two days before, and she was suddenly feeling lucky. Being a fairly poor girl growing up, she had never enjoyed the luxury of a private washroom in her home. When it'd been warm, she had gone and bathed in a hot spring buried behind a cluster of bushes. When the weather had grown cold, she'd had to squeeze into the small, leaky tub she had - in the middle of her tiny bedroom, nonetheless - and try to manage to get herself clean. But now, it was different. She finally got to savor not only complete privacy, but a variety of soaps and oils as well as warm, fluffy towels and robes - things she never had in her home.

Letting out a contented sigh, she cupped her hands and filled them with water that she planned to dump onto her golden hair. However, that task was interrupted by the sound of the door opening.

"Hey there, darling."

Astrid groaned. "Hiccup, what in the name of Thor are you doing coming in here like this? I told you I wanted to relax in the bath for a while."

"I thought you might be lonely." Shrugging, he closed the door and settled down on the floor beside her.

"To be honest, I was actually enjoying the -"

"And also, I need to tell you something important. Dagur is coming for a visit in a couple of days, so we gotta start cleaning up all evidence of dragons. I thought it might be a good idea to take them to Dragon Island." Dagur the Deranged was the chief of one of the most dreaded neighboring tribes - the Berserkers. Ever since he'd been handed the power, he had been out to kill all the dragons on Berk.

"Can't this wait? We've been busy getting all my stuff moved into the house since our wedding day. I really just want to sit and take some time to myself."

Hiccup sighed. "Alright. I'll shut up." He took his hands and, after dipping them in the water, rubbed soap onto his palms and began to gently massage her smooth shoulders with it.

She sighed. "I was hoping that your 'shutting up' would also involve you leaving."

"Mmm, you're so beautiful," he murmured, ignoring her remark. Once he had rinsed the suds off of her skin, he pressed kisses along the newly cleaned area.

"Babe, get out. I'm serious." She twisted around and splashed him.

"But what if I want to keep helping you wash up?" A crooked grin spread across his lips as his eyes darted down to rest on Astrid's breasts, which were half-covered by her hair.

She rolled her eyes. "I have a feeling you want more than that."

"And?"

"And I'm still sore from this morning." After waking up, she and Hiccup had taken the time to enjoy an intimate moment before getting on with their tasks for the day.

Much to her amusement, his cheeks turned red. "Yeah, about that...I didn't mean to be that uh..._aggressive._"

"Well, you could make it up to me by getting out of here." She leaned forward and pretended she was about to kiss him, then took her fist and punched his stomach instead.

"Still doing that, I see," he smirked. "That's hilarious."

"Oh, so you think this is a joke?" Astrid raised an eyebrow. "Well, you'll see how much of a joke it is when you're lying on the ground unconscious." Crossing her arms over her chest, she glared at him.

"Why is it always violence with you?"

"Out, you dumbhead. Before my bath gets cold."

"Fine, fine." He stood up, then knelt back down almost immediately. "But can I have a kiss first?"

"Whatever." Grabbing his chin with one hand and his left cheek with the other, she gave him a light peck on the lips. "You're awesome, I love you, and you're the best husband ever," she said quickly. "Now go."

"As you wish, milady." Hiccup finally made his way to the door. "Hey," he started, turning back to her as his fingers brushed the doorknob. A mischievous smile played upon his face.

"What _now?_"

"Next time you have a bath, I better be invited."


	11. Bedtime

**_Bedtime _**

**_..._**

**Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and follows I have gotten so far on this. I'm surprised so many of you are enjoying these oneshots! Just out of curiosity, which one(s) is/are your favorites out of what I have so far?**

**SUMMARY: Astrid's sleeping habits make for a bad night's rest for both herself and Hiccup. **

**...**

Hiccup and Astrid Haddock - the newest married couple on Berk - settled down in bed, ready to be refreshed by a good, long sleep after a busy beginning half of the week. First, they had had their wedding, which they had not slept properly since, for they had been too busy enjoying the intimacy they now got to share together at night. Then, during the day, he was still getting used to his new duties as chief, and she was occupied with trying to improve her less than decent cooking skills so she and her new husband could eat edible meals. As a result of all this, the two of them would not actually be asleep at the same time, but rather would take turns napping. Now, however, they were finally settling into their routines and were - for the first time - getting comfortable in bed together for nothing besides innocent sleep.

"Good-night, darling," Hiccup murmured, leaning over to softly stroke Astrid's cheek and kiss her lips. "I love you."

She smiled. "Love you too, babe. Good-night."

Silence fell over the room as they both closed their eyes and snuggled against each other. It was going to be a blissful night - or so they thought.

Just as Hiccup was beginning to drift off, he felt the covers being tugged from him. His eyelids cracked open to see Astrid completely cocooned from the bottom of her chin to the tips of her toes in the fur blanket. "Astrid?"

Obviously not fully awake, she simply groaned and rolled back over to him, her head resting on the spot of his arm just below his shoulder and her nose grazing the side of his chest.

"Astrid, darling," he prompted, gently shaking her. When she looked at him with half-glazed eyes, he asked, "Could I have my arm back? And could you please share the covers?"

"Too...cold..." she muttered, cuddling further into him.

"Hey, I'm kinda cold, too. Let me in." He yanked the corner of the blanket away from her, only to have her slap his hand.

"Too...cold..." she insisted again, curling herself so that her feet were pinning down his legs. Her face disappeared underneath the furs, though the weight of her head was still on his arm. As she pressed harder against him, he began to feel himself being shoved towards the edge of the bed.

"Astrid!" he shouted.

"What?" She pulled the blanket off her face, now completely awoken and thoroughly irritated at her slumber being interrupted.

"I can't sleep. First of all, you're hogging our covers, and secondly, you're pushing me off the bed."

"I'm not doing it to annoy you, dumbhead. I'm just so cold and you're so warm and the blanket feels cozy and anyway, I can't control what I do in my sleep and -"

He smiled at her rambling whilst he pressed a finger to her lips. "Calm down, milady. It's okay. Now, what about this: we can share the covers and both wrap up in it like you are. That way, each of us can be comfortable _and _we'll still have the blanket blocking the outside air."

"Alright." She shrugged, but made no move to hand over any of the furs.

"Aren't you gonna let me in?"

"You let yourself in."

After some pulling, Hiccup finally broke through the covers and reached the point where he could settle in comfortably beside her.

She laid her head in the crook of his neck as her nose - chapped due to riding her dragon home through the incoming snowstorm - brushed against his skin. Her shaking figure lay half on top of his and her arms hugged his middle, leaving him little room to shift around.

"Could you lighten up the death grip a bit?"

No response.

"Astrid?"

Still nothing. He placed his hand on her back, which was covered only by a thin nightgown, and felt her body slowly rise and fall to the rhythm of her steady breathing. Evidentially, she had already fallen back asleep.

Sighing, he tried to relax, but no sooner had he resigned himself to the fact that he would need to rest pinned onto his back that night did Astrid begin to move, her icy toes kicking his one remaining ankle and her right hand moving up to rest neatly across his face.

He decided not to wake her again and instead, struggled to move her arm so he could breathe without her chilly palm half-suffocating him.

"Babe?" Her eyes opened.

"I'm just moving you a bit so I don't die. You're a _very _clingy sleeper, darling, and it's starting to kill me...literally."

From what he could make out in the darkness of the room, she looked genuinely hurt as she rolled off his body and turned away from him.

"Hey, it's fine. I'll just go see if I can dig up another blanket."

"If you're leaving me to sleep on the couch, I'm gonna punch you so hard," she muttered against the pillow.

"Of course not. I meant just a second one so we can...you know...each have one to curl up in. That way, we can both get some good rest tonight."

"If you say so."

Hiccup touched his lips to her hair before climbing off the edge of the bed and attaching his metal leg. After making his way into the spare bedroom, he rummaged around until he located a small stack of covers. He selected one that appeared to be especially thick, then returned to his own room. "Here, Astrid, you take this one. It looks a little warmer. I'll have yours."

"Thanks." She quickly switched blankets and waited impatiently as her husband crawled back onto the mattress and settled in. No sooner than when his head hit the pillow did she press into him, her cheek resting on his chest and her loose blonde locks gently grazing his face.

"Hey," he whispered. When Astrid lifted her head, he made two kissing sounds, signaling that he wanted another kiss before they fell asleep.

She leaned up and, resting her forehead against his, obliged. As they pulled away, she nuzzled her nose with his in a few short Eskimo kisses.

Smiling, he pulled his arms out from under his blanket and wrapped them around her. Once she was nestled back onto his chest and her eyes were closed, he brushed a few gentle fingers over her eyelids before pressing kisses there. "You have sweet dreams, love."

"If you don't stop with the stupid pet names, I'll attack you in my sleep again," she muttered. Although she did like when he called her 'milady,' and the nickname 'darling' had grown on her, she did not want any more terms of endearment used toward her; it just wasn't her style to savor sweet language. Instead, she preferred him to share his love for her through emotional support and physical affection.

"Fine, then." He twisted to the side, her head still against his chest, and buried his face into her hair. "See you in the morning, grumpy."

She attempted to elbow him through the covers before letting out an exasperated sigh and growing still, finally allowing the both of them to drift off into a deep, peaceful slumber.


	12. Braids

**_Braids_**

**_..._**

**Just a note...I read that in HTTYD2, Hiccup really does hate his braids. The creators of the movie said so, and also told us that the only reason he keeps them is because Astrid put them there (and obviously he loves her, so...). I thought that was adorable.**

**SUMMARY: Astrid wants to braid Hiccup's hair. He, however, objects.**

**...**

"You want to _what?_" asked nineteen-year-old Hiccup Haddock as his eyes widened at his girlfriend in shock.

Smiling, Astrid Hofferson - whom he had been with for nearly five years - ran her calloused hands through his auburn locks. "I want to braid your hair."

"Astrid, no." He shook his head. "That's ridiculous."

"Have you not looked around? It's the style these days. Thor's hammer, even Tuffnut has done it." Throughout their childhood and early teenage years, Tuffnut Thorston had been known to leave his thick hair long and loose. But recently, at the urging of his twin sister - Ruffnut - he'd finally conformed to the fashion of the Hairy Hooligan tribe.

Hiccup snorted. "Yeah, like that's really gonna help convince me."

"But Hiccup, if I put in some braids, your hair won't get all messy and tangled like this from using that silly flight helmet." She continued to sort through the disheveled strands.

"It's not silly. It's...uh..." He thought for a moment. "It's _unique._"

Astrid laughed and gave him a light punch on the arm. "I still say it's silly."

"Well, wait until I make you your own. Then you'll regret ever teasing me about it."

"Yeah, right."

Just then, Hiccup's Night Fury - who went by the name of Toothless - approached the pair and settled in beside his rider. Letting out a purr, he nudged Hiccup's head with his large nose.

"Yeah bud, you don't want Astrid to braid my hair either, do you?"

Toothless smiled and purred louder.

"I think he's laughing at your idea, milady," Hiccup stated.

She rolled her blue eyes and folded her arms over her chest. "And you really think I'm gonna go by what _Toothless _says?"

"Let me just remind you that Toothless is the unholy offspring of lightening and death itself. He could kill you in thirty seconds flat."

"But you'd never let him do that. You love me."

"That I do." He leaned in and gave her a peck on the tip of her nose, causing her to smile.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder. "But seriously, let me braid your hair. Just one tiny braid. Please?"

"Astrid..."

"You'll barely be able to notice it; I swear to the gods."

Hiccup groaned.

"Is that a yes?"

"No."

She pulled away from him and, staring him directly in the eye, stuck out her lower lip. "But babe..." Astrid typically wasn't one to beg her boyfriend for things. But on the rare occasions she did - and those occasions had only come up three or four times over the course of the time she'd been with Hiccup - she sure knew how to get him to give in to her. And the way to do that was to put on a pout and give him big baby dragon eyes. This was the same method Toothless used on him when he wanted to get his own way. It was Hiccup's weakness.

"Astrid, stop," he said, looking away. "You know how vulnerable I get when you..."

She followed his gaze.

"...do that." Sighing, he shook his head.

Knowing she had won, Astrid grabbed a small chunk of his hair that was grazing his neck and began to twist it into a miniature braid.

"You are going to be the death of me someday, Astrid Hofferson," he muttered.

"The death of you? No. But the mother of your children? Yes." Although Hiccup had not formally proposed, the two of them had been frequently talking about marriage as of late. They knew they both wanted it, but it was just a matter of being ready to settle down and accept the possibility of becoming parents.

"Well, if we have a son, I'm telling you right now, darling, that you will _not _put him through this."

"And who are you to determine that? He'll be mine, too." Astrid finished off the braid and fastened it with a small string of leather that she had torn from one of her boot laces.

He shook his head. "We'll worry about this when the time actually comes. But for now, let me get back at you for this new hairstyle by beating you back home." After giving her hand a loving squeeze, he put on his flight helmet, then mounted Toothless and ascended into the sky. "Loser has to be on dragon stall cleaning duty for a month!" His voice was muffled a bit by his mask, but Astrid could still make out what he'd said.

"This is so not fair!" she yelled, summoning over Stormfly, her Deadly Nadder, and following after Hiccup.

"It's not supposed to be fair! It's supposed to be payback!"

"Hiccup Haddock, when we land, I will punch you so hard, you won't be able to use your arm for a week!"

"Hey, as long as I don't have to clean up dragon stalls, that's fine by me."

"You idiot!"

"Oh, be quiet, milady. You love me and you know it."


	13. Doubts

**_Doubts_**

**_..._**

**Wow...so many of you liked my last oneshot! Thanks for all the kind words; they made me smile. Now, I need to tell you guys...I'm starting a story involving the theory of the dragons all disappearing in HTTYD3. It won't be long...probably no more than 8-10 chapters, but I don't want to post any chapters till I'm finished with the whole thing. That being said, I might be updating both this and my other story slightly less (but still pretty often - don't worry ****_too _****much).**

**SUMMARY: Astrid Hofferson is doubting her ability to be the "perfect" wife after accepting Hiccup Haddock's marriage proposal. Maybe a bit OOC, but they're both upset, so it's not too far off for the circumstances.**

**...**

Astrid Hofferson sat in the cove - the place where she and her new fiancée, Hiccup Haddock, had shared so many memorable times - and hugged her Deadly Nadder. It'd been three days since Hiccup had asked her to marry him, and she was beginning to feel a twinge of regret. It wasn't because she didn't love him, as that she did, it was because she felt he deserved better. After all, as Berk's future chief, he was expected to have the perfect everything - including a perfect wife.

And that she could not be. Because her parents had died when she was a baby and her Uncle Finn had fled in shame after being tormented about his failure to kill the infamous Flightmare, she had been left at the age of five in the hands of no one in particular. Up until she was around eleven, a few elders took turns letting her stay with them out of need and sympathy, but they hadn't taught her much. As a result, she had no idea how to cook - beyond roasting fish and yak over a fire - knew very little about sewing, and was completely clueless as to how to even begin raising children. That being said, she definitely didn't belong in the village's highest ranking family.

Stormfly, the name by which the Nadder went, nudged Astrid's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. Although she was a dragon, she knew when Astrid needed love. Their bond wasn't as close as Hiccup's was with Toothless, his Night Fury, but it was still strong.

"Thanks, girl," Astrid murmured to Stormfly. She touched the dragon's large nose with the palm of her hand and leaned against her face.

Stormfly let out a soothing purr.

"There you are, milady."

Astrid let out a heavy sigh as she heard Hiccup land beside her on Toothless. Not in the mood to talk to him, she didn't make any move to look over at the new arrivals.

"Astrid," Hiccup said. It was obvious to him that something was bothering her. First of all, she'd been gone since noon, and now, the sun was beginning to set. Secondly, it wasn't like her to ignore him. Usually, she either greeted him and started up a conversation or, if she was upset with him, she'd punch him.

"I don't feel like talking, Hiccup."

"What's wrong?" He hopped off his dragon and sat beside her, his arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her into his chest. Usually, if something wasn't right for her, she'd talk to him whilst he cuddled her and played with her hair. It was the same for him; if he was having a bad day, she'd snuggle up to him and, against his will, braid his hair as he ranted about his troubles. It was just their thing.

"Nothing."

"Come on, we both know that's not true." Hiccup brought up one of his hands to push the golden locks out of her eyes.

"I'm just feeling a little sick," she lied. "But I'll live."

"If you're sick, you should be resting at home," he stated firmly. "You're only gonna make it worse if you try to overdo things."

"I'll be _fine_, Hiccup." Astrid smiled at the sound of his heartbeat against her ear. It was a noise that soothed her, though she wasn't quite sure why.

He could tell she still wasn't being honest with him. Placing his fingers beneath her chin, he turned his face towards his. "Astrid, tell me what's wrong."

She sighed. He knew her too well. However, she wasn't ready to discuss her doubts about her ability as a wife with him. "I just want to be alone."

"Why? You'd feel better if you let it out, my darling. And you know you can talk to me about anything. I'd never judge you."

"I...I can't." Breaking free from his grasp, she climbed onto Stormfly and flew up into the clouds, hoping Hiccup wouldn't go after her.

And he didn't. Instead, he simply sat in the cove, his head leaning against Toothless' side. The friendly Night Fury licked his cheek and let out a purr of sympathy.

"I don't know what to do, Toothless," murmured Hiccup. "I just don't know." He shook his head. "This hasn't happened before, bud. In the past, I _always _knew how to make her talk to me."

The black dragon nudged him with his nose.

"Toothless, what if this is a sign that I'm not ready to become her husband? Maybe I proposed too soon. Oh gods, that's it. She's probably upset about the proposal. She probably just said yes to me because she felt obligated to." He sighed. "I really screwed up this time."

...

_Knock, knock._

Hiccup stepped back and waited for his fiancée - if she even was that anymore - to answer her door. He had given her some space for a couple days, during which he hadn't seen her at all, but he figured that now would be a good time to talk out their unspoken problems.

"Hiccup," she greeted with a small smile as she let him inside. "What's going on?"

"I...I need to talk to you."

"Why?"

"Because...because I messed up. Again." Sighing, he motioned for her to sit on her couch with him. Once they were both comfortable, he took her hands in his and said, "I thought about it, and I realized that my proposal was what had made you upset."

Bewildered, Astrid shook her head. "No, it's not that at all," she insisted. "You...you did fine with that. I _liked _it."

"You don't need to say that just to make me feel good, Astrid."

"But I'm not, Hiccup. It's the truth. You did nothing wrong. Believe me, if you had, you'd have seen my fist, my axe, or both by now."

"This is different, though. I just...I just think I screwed up."

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock, knock this off right now." Astrid let out a sigh. She knew she needed to be honest with him - and fast. Otherwise, he might break engagement. But then again, that might be for the better, as the more she had considered it, the more she'd convinced herself that she would never amount to anything as a wife or a mother.

"Then tell me what's wrong."

She shied away from his emerald gaze.

"Astrid, darling..."

"You know what? You're...you're right, Hiccup," she eventually spoke. "We...we should just forget about it. Not because of you, but..."

"Forget...forget what?"

"Us." Her blue eyes, which were beginning to grow moist, turned back to look at him.

"But...but...I thought..." His lower lip trembled with both shock and sadness. He had really gotten himself into a trap this time. Only now, it was costing him more than just his father's anger or a leg. It was costing him the young woman he loved.

"It's not you," Astrid insisted. "It's me. It's...well...I...I don't want to hold you back."

"What...what do you mean?"

"I'm not gonna be the wife everyone expects. I mean, you've tried my cooking, you've seen how badly that shirt I tried to sew turned out the other week, and I'm sure you've noticed how terrible I am around children. It...it would be unfair for you if we stayed together. I mean, you have a reputation. A good one. I'm just the poor, family-deprived girl who can't do much besides ride dragons, battle enemies, and swing my axe around." Her voice cracked.

"Please don't talk like that, darling," Hiccup said, kissing the tip of her nose and pulling her into a comforting embrace. "First of all, your battle and dragon riding skills are very useful. Secondly, I don't care if you can sew or cook. I mean, if I have to suffer through a few burnt crab cakes and under-baked loaves of bread, then so be it. And about kids, I don't know anything more than you do. But there's no one else I'd rather figure it all out with. After all, if we managed to train deadly dragons, I'm sure we could train children." He smirked, mildly amused at his bad attempt at humor.

Astrid smiled against his chest and wound her arms about his neck.

For the longest time, the two of them just sat there, silently holding each other. He buried his nose in her hair and pressed gentle kisses there. She took in his scent, which was a combination of woods, Toothless' plasma blasts, and fresh air. Soon enough, that, along with the rhythm of his heartbeat, lulled her to sleep - something she'd been deprived of lately due to stress.

"Astrid," Hiccup said eventually, when he noticed the room darkening due to sunset. He cautiously shook her shoulder, knowing that she could become quite grumpy when he woke her up.

"Let me sleep, you dumbhead," she muttered as she gripped onto him more tightly.

"I gotta go home now, milady," he explained. "I need to get some rest myself."

"Mmm."

"Hey, just think, after we get married, we get to spend the night together all the time. Not to mention, we'll also be sharing a bed." He tried to gently pry her arms away from him. "And I'll get to have fun getting out of this death grip in the mornings," he muttered, half to himself.

"Hiccup!" She was now fully awoken.

"I didn't mean to bother you, Astrid, but I gotta head back to my house."

She sighed. "Before you go...I just need to say that I'm sorry...for just...everything."

"Don't be. I understand where you're coming from. But you need to remember that I'm kind of in the same boat as you. I never knew my mother, and my father isn't exactly the most attentive man around. I promise that we'll figure it all out, though, okay? So no more of this silly talk."

"Alright." Astrid glanced down at her hands and chewed on her lip. "And babe?"

"Yes, darling?"

She looked back up at his face, her eyes sparkling with affection. "I love you." Hiccup and Astrid were a couple who made certain not to overuse those words. Since they had become official nearly five years ago, they'd only said them about fifteen times. It wasn't that they were cold towards one another - they weren't at all - it was just that they felt their "I love yous" should be used sparingly. Besides, neither of them had ever been great with words, so it was more effective for them to _show _how they felt. But now, Astrid had felt that it was a good time to actually tell him what her emotions were.

A crooked grin spread across Hiccup's face. "I love you, too." Leaning forward, he pressed his lips onto hers in a loving kiss. "Now, you'd better get back to sleep. I'll be around at dawn to pick you up for an early morning dragon ride."

"That I'll be looking forward to." She lightly elbowed his arm.

"Alright, then. 'Night, Astrid!" Smiling, he gave her hand a brief squeeze before walking out the door.

And as Hiccup and Astrid each slept that night, they both dreamed of the new life together that they were soon to begin.


	14. Talk

**_Talk_**

**_..._**

**Just so you all know, my new chapter story ****_The Vanishing Dragons _****is posted, so go check it out if you'd like:)**

**SUMMARY: Hiccup and Astrid have a little talk whilst cuddling in the cove. Pure, pointless, drabbly fluff.**

**...**

Astrid Hofferson let out a contented sigh as she cuddled into her fiancée's chest and closed her eyes. The warm leather of his newly made flight suit felt good on her chilly face, the sound of his rhythmic heartbeat soothed her, and the way his arms wrapped around her waist made her feel like she was in her own little safety zone - though she would never admit the latter aloud.

Grinning his crooked grin, Hiccup Haddock reached up a hand to play with the loose, dusty blonde locks that had broken free from Astrid's braid during their dragon ride. He was lying in the grass of the cove - his beloved half on top of him - looking out at the reddening sky above. It was sunset, and he knew the both of them should be heading home for the night, but he just wasn't ready to break the moment.

"Mmm." Astrid embraced him and wrapped one of her legs around his. She knew as well as he did that they needed to go back to their houses. However, in all honesty, she would have been perfectly content to risk the anger of his father - and her chief - to just simply lie there and sleep with him under the stars. No, not sleep with him in _that _way; she meant just literally _sleep _in a completely platonic and innocent way. The other stuff would be saved for after they were married.

"You're tired, aren't you, milady?" asked Hiccup, tucking some hair behind her ear.

She nodded against him.

He didn't respond. Instead, he merely tightened his grasp on her and leaned his head on top of hers.

The two lay there for a while longer, enjoying one another's company. At one point, Astrid had actually dozed off, but she'd awoken again not long after to the sound of her Nadder - Stormfly - wrestling with Toothless, who was Hiccup's Night Fury.

"Maybe we should go," sighed Hiccup eventually.

"Maybe we shouldn't," she retorted, her tone surprisingly soft.

He pressed a kiss into her hair. "I know; I don't want to leave, either, but it's getting late, and you know how my dad gets when I don't come home on time."

"Forget your dad."

"Hey, the wedding's in three weeks. We get to enjoy each other every single night then." His cheeks turned red after he realized how his words had come out. "I mean...not just in _that_ way...that's not the only way I meant...I..." He trailed off.

"But what if I _want_ to enjoy you in _that_ way?" She lifted her face and looked him in the eye.

"_Every_ night?"

"Maybe." She smirked.

"Oh gods, what am I supposed to do with you, Astrid Hofferson?"

"Make me Astrid Haddock."

"But...but that's already going to happen."

"It'll only be official if we actually...you know..._consummate_ the marriage."

"And we'll do that plus more." Nodding in reassurance, Hiccup leaned in to kiss her lips. "But we'll also just snuggle sometimes. Like this. In our bed. Or here. Or on a cliffside. Or -"

"I love you."

"What?" The two had exchanged many "I love yous" before, but Astrid's suddenness had taken him by surprise.

"I said, I love you."

"I love you, too." He gently pulled her down so she was against his shoulder. Then, he nuzzled her face at the spot where her ear met her cheek.

"Are we still gonna go home?" she murmured after a lengthy pause.

"No."

"But your dad -"

"Forget my dad."

"But in three weeks, we -"

"Shh."


	15. Gifts

**_Gifts_**

**_..._**

**Just a theory on how Astrid got all her fur accessories in HTTYD2. This is based on the fact that I swear there's at least three times (if not more) in ****_Dreamworks Dragons _****that she's either shivering or saying she's cold. And I feel like Hiccup would want her to be warm:) And just a disclaimer: I'm aware Astrid's kinda OOC here...but I just couldn't resist having just ****_one_**** story where she lets Hiccup kind of baby/spoil her for once.**

**SUMMARY: Hiccup knows Astrid wasn't made for the cold, so he surprises her with a few gifts.**

**...**

"Alright, open your eyes now," Hiccup Haddock said, reaching underneath his girlfriend's armor to give her shoulders an affectionate squeeze.

Obeying his instructions, Astrid Hofferson gasped at what she saw. In front of her, there lay a fur hood, three large, thick fur blankets, two fur arm warmers, and a pair of tall, fur boots "This is...this is all for me?" She spun around to face Hiccup.

"All for you," he confirmed with a nod. Astrid was always saying that she was chilly, so he had decided to make her a few items that would help solve that problem. After all, winter was around the corner, and the last thing he wanted was for her to freeze to death during the frigid nights or get frostbite whilst out riding dragons in the snow.

"It's...it's too much." She shook her head. "It's all beautiful, but it's just...it's just too much."

"Nonsense, darling." He cupped her face with one of his calloused palms and gently ran his thumb over her chin.

"But look at everything." Sighing, she gestured to the pile of her new things. "This must have cost a fortune."

Hiccup shrugged. "Not really. I just bought the fur in a big bundle. The sewing was all done by me for free. I worked on it the same week I was working on my flight suit." He had just made a leather flight suit for himself that would enable him to glide in the air alongside Toothless, his Night Fury.

"You didn't have to..."

"But I did. I can't have you spending the winter all cold and uncomfortable."

She bit her lip.

"Here, I'll help you try the stuff on." Hiccup walked over and picked up the hood, then returned to Astrid and fastened it about her shoulders. "See? It's as warm as those cuddles from me that you like so much, right?"

Smiling, she said, "It's pretty close."

"And it looks cute with your new haircut." Since she had just turned nineteen, Astrid had been determined to look a bit more mature. Therefore, she had chopped off half her bangs and cut the ends of her waist-length locks, leaving them to lie just below her breasts. The shorter length had caused her to want to try a different style, so she had switched from a simple braid at the back of her head to a more intricate one that draped over her left shoulder.

"Oh, stop." Astrid waved a dismissive hand at him.

"Oh, stop," he mocked, copying her gesture. When she gave him a frown, he leaned in to connect his forehead with hers. As a result, their noses brushed together, both of them chapped from all the time the pair spent outdoors.

"Back off." She gently elbowed him in the stomach.

"Why?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Because I want to try on my arm warmers and shoes."

Grinning his crooked grin, Hiccup stepped away from her, watching contentedly as she began to push the furry bands onto her slender arms. "How are they?"

"Cozy." Astrid then sat on the ground and tugged off her old, worn down boots. Tossing them aside, she picked up the new pair and started to slide a foot into one of them.

"This will be the real test," he stated, walking over to settle in beside her. "I put extra padding in those, so hopefully it'll be enough to keep your toes warm." He knew that her feet became frozen the easiest, as she had a habit of asking him to rub warmth into them after long flights in chilly weather. It wasn't that he minded doing so; in fact, it was surprisingly relaxing for him as well as her. It was just that it pained him to see all the frostbite scars that were present on the sides of her arches and above most of her toenails. She'd never said anything about the marks aloud, but he knew they secretly caused her to feel self-conscious, as she was reluctant to go barefoot around anyone except him. He guessed it was because she felt that allowing the cold to bother her to the point of scarring was showing weakness.

Once she had finished lacing both shoes, a smile appeared across her face. "I think it'll work."

"So, does this mean you're gonna keep all these things without any more arguing?"

Astrid picked up one of the blankets and held it against her cheek.

"Hmm?" he prompted.

"Are you sure you don't want even just _one_ blanket for yourself?" She held up a finger.

"Positive. You need one for bed, one to keep in your saddle bag, and one for if you want to curl up on the couch. I already have more than I need at home." Hiccup wrapped his arms around her.

"Well, will you at least let me share with you when you come visit?"

"Naps _would_ be more comfortable with super warm covers, don't you think?" On many occasions, Hiccup and Astrid would, after an exhausting morning, go to Astrid's house and snuggle up together on her couch for a nap.

"'Kay, then."

"Is that a yes?"

"I guess it'll have to be." She laced her fingers with his.

Pecking her cheek, he pulled her onto his lap.

"Hiccup?" Her eyes met his.

"Yes, darling?"

She fastened her arms about his neck and reached up to kiss his lips. "Thanks. For...everything."


	16. Shut In

**_Shut In_**

**_..._**

**So...a couple people wanted to see more fics from the earlier stages of Hiccstrid's relationship. I don't really take tremendously specific requests unless I honestly, 100% want to write on the prompt, but lucky for you guys I had an idea that works into the ****_Defenders _****timeline. This takes place before the opening of the episode ****_Frozen_****, where everyone is stuck in the Academy.**

**SUMMARY: A storm hits, leaving the dragon riders trapped in the Academy for several days. Luckily, for Hiccup and Astrid, the two of them get a chance to have some bonding (and cuddle) time.**

**...**

"I can't believe we're stuck here again!" yelled Snotlout, tossing his arms into the air in frustration. "I don't know how I'm gonna survive another night of all...all you!" He gestured toward the rest of the group.

"Who's he talking to?" asked Tuffnut with a shrug.

"Can't be us," Ruffnut replied.

"Alright, I agree that this sleeping in the Academy thing is getting a little old," Hiccup broke in. "But we need to try to...you know...deal with it."

"But it gets so dark in here!" complained Fishlegs. "You know how much I hate the dark." He hugged Meatlug in an attempt to comfort himself.

"Yes, we _all_ know, Fishlegs," sneered Snotlout. "We've been hearing you crying yourself to sleep for the past four nights."

Hiccup allowed his face to fall into his hands. "Guys, please. We have to make the best of the situation."

"Yeah, uh...how exactly are we supposed to do that?" Tuffnut wrinkled his nose.

Hiccup sighed. "Just...just lie down and try to sleep." He took the lantern that was beside him and walked over to Toothless, who was huddled against the wall beside Stormfly. Both dragons looked bored, angry, and sad. However, they could not be blamed for their attitudes, as they had not been out for a flight since the day before the storm's arrival.

Nudging Hiccup with his nose, Toothless let out a grunt.

"I know, I know, bud," sighed Hiccup, placing a hand on the Night Fury's head. "I don't like being trapped in here any more than you do, but there's not much we can do."

"Give me my furs!" Ruffnut shouted. She reached to grab some of the fur blankets that were in Tuffnut's arms.

"These are all mine!" insisted Tuffnut, turning away from his sister. "They were in _my_ saddle bag."

"We've been over this time after time, Tuff. It's _our_ saddle bag!"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

"Will you two shut up already?" Snotlout spoke through clenched teeth as he leaned against Hookfang. Luckily for him, the Monstrous Nightmare had an ability to radiate heat throughout his whole body, which proved useful in the chill of the nights.

"Guys, knock it off," Hiccup prompted. Grabbing his covers, he lay down in his usual spot - or rather, the spot that had become his usual place throughout the days of the unexpected Academy campout.

"Hey," whispered Astrid, who was already settled into the space beside him.

"Hey, you okay?" asked Hiccup, turning to face her. Throughout all the bantering, Astrid hadn't spoken one word, which was highly unusual. Typically, she was just as quick to speak out against those things as Hiccup was.

"Oh, look at the happy couple," chuckled Snotlout. "Are you guys gonna kiss good-night?"

"Snotlout, stop!" Hiccup's cheeks turned red. "Go to sleep already." He blew out the lantern, leaving the group in darkness.

Fishlegs whimpered, then let out a high-pitched scream. The sound was followed by Ruffnut's laughter.

"Made you jump," she said.

"Tears? Is that what you want?" shouted Fishlegs.

Shaking his head, Hiccup decided to ignore the bickering. It couldn't last forever, after all. He let out a small sigh and focused his attention back onto Astrid. "You okay?" he said softly, repeating his earlier question.

"I'm fine," she muttered.

He reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder, only to find that she was shaking. "You sure? You seem kind of...well...cold." His voice was still hushed.

"Freezing is more like it, but I'll live." Shrugging, Astrid secured the covers more tightly around her.

Hiccup was silent for a moment. He knew what he wanted to do, but he just didn't know how to go about it without it seeming too, well, _suggestive_.

"Hiccup?"

Her voice broke him out of his thoughts. "Yes, Astrid?"

"Do you have any spare blankets?"

A small grin spread across his face, and he thanked the gods that it seemed to be too dark for her to notice. This was the perfect opportunity to present his idea to her. However, he still felt a little shy about it. Sure, he had cuddled with her several months ago when they'd been stuck in an avalanche after a dragon-sledding incident, but they had been wet with snow, and it would have been stupid to _not_ huddle together for warmth. This situation wasn't quite as urgent.

"Hiccup," she spoke again. "Are you still awake?"

"Yeah..." Hiccup gulped. "Uh...no, I um...I don't have any." Taking a deep breath, he continued with, "But you can...you can...um...you can bring yours here and then...then...you can share mine as well...I mean, if you want...uh...you don't have to...I know it's strange...I'm sorry...um...I..." He felt his face burning up.

"Hey, stop being all weird about it." Bundling herself in her own covers, Astrid rolled over and slid underneath Hiccup's. "There's nothing _wrong_ with sharing furs, you know."

Freezing up, he struggled with what to say next. She was next to him. Under the blankets. To go to _sleep_.

"Here, want some of mine?" She nonchalantly tugged some of her furs off her body and tossed them over Hiccup.

The sound of snoring echoed throughout the room. Evidentially, the rest of the party had fallen asleep. Pledging gratitude to Thor that they weren't awake to hear what was happening, Hiccup managed a small, "Thank you." He was warming up to the idea of spending a night beside Astrid, but he still wasn't sure how to act. Should he put an arm around her? Should he snuggle up to her? Should he try to give her space?

Before he could make up his mind, he felt her cold body press against his. Her hair tickled his face and her nose gently rubbed against his skin as she rested her head in the crook of his neck.

"Are you...are you good?" he managed to choke out.

"Mmm-hmm. Are you?"

"Yeah...I uh...I..."

"Well, if you don't mind, I'd like to sleep like this tonight." She wrapped one arm about his middle whilst the other came up so she could rest it on his chest. "It's just...you're warm," she quickly added.

"I uh...I don't mind if you um...if you wanna be close, but...uh...but I usually...I like sleeping on my side."

"That's...that's fine." Astrid moved away.

Letting out a small sigh, Hiccup twisted around and brushed his hand against her arm. When she didn't flinch, he began to rub more quickly, creating warmth in order to eliminate the goosebumps that were present on her skin.

He soon felt her cuddle against him, her back to the lower part of his chest, her head tucking in beneath his chin, and the tops of her furry boots scraping against his one remaining foot. She was a tiny bit taller than him, and it was evident by the way her body reached below his in their current position. "Is this okay?"

"It's more comfortable," he replied evenly. Breathing in, he lay a hand on Astrid's stomach.

"So," she began. Her fingers laced with Hiccup's.

"So, should we sleep now?"

"I'm not tired yet."

"What...what should we do, then?"

"We could talk for a while."

"Erm...okay." Hiccup was unsure of how to properly respond. When Astrid didn't elaborate on her suggestion, he continued with, "Um...uh...what should we talk about?"

"Hmm...well, we could talk about dragons, considering that's all you think about." Her voice had a playful edge to it.

He groaned. "We've been over this. It's not all I think about."

The pair fell silent.

"I uh..." Hiccup stammered eventually.

"You think about me, don't you?" said Astrid quietly. She tilted her head so she was looking up at his face.

He felt his cheeks burn. "I'd...I'd be lying if I said I didn't...I mean, I...I wouldn't have let you share my covers if...if I didn't care."

"Your hand is getting sweaty."

"Oh, gods," Hiccup muttered to himself. He gently pulled his fingers away from hers.

"Hey, I never said I minded."

"I...I don't want to be disgusting. I..."

Suddenly, Astrid turned around to face him. "Hiccup, am I your girlfriend?"

He cringed. It wasn't because he didn't like the idea, he just didn't know how to respond. Ever since their first flight together on Toothless, they had been sharing a few hugs and kisses here and there, and in that time, certainly had developed a strong bond with one another. However, they had never discussed where they stood relationship-wise.

"Hiccup?"

"I...I uh...is it really necessary to answer that question?"

"Some clarity would be nice."

Letting out a sigh, Hiccup said, "I...I really don't even know that myself, to be honest with you."

As his eyes better adjusted to the darkness, he could see her bite her lip. "Well, I...I...I think you're awfully cute. Just saying."

"Thank you, Astrid." He gave her one of his crooked grins.

"So..."

"I don't know much about labels." Hiccup shrugged.

"Neither do I." Curling against his chest, Astrid continued with, "Maybe we shouldn't decide now. Maybe we should just keep doing things the way we are and see how it plays out. I mean, does it really matter if we have an official title or not?"

He shrugged again. "I don't think so."

The Academy grew quiet, save the noise of the rest of the group snoring and muttering in their sleep.

"Are you tired yet?" Hiccup eventually queried with a yawn.

"I guess so."

"What will we say if the others...you know...see us like this?"

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll tell them the truth; we'll say I was cold."

Everything was silent again.

"Hiccup?" Astrid said.

"Hmm?"

"You know, Snotlout's idea wasn't too bad."

"_Snotlout's_ idea? Are you kidding me?" Hiccup's eyes widened in surprise. "And what idea would that be?"

"You know...about a...a good-night kiss." She looked up at him. "So...what do you think? I've never actually had a good-night kiss before...not even from my parents...that I can remember, anyway." Astrid's parents had died when she was little. She barely ever mentioned them, and when she did, Hiccup was always stuck on how to respond.

"I uh..."

"You can just do it on my cheek...or forehead. It doesn't have to be on the lips."

Hiccup struggled not to show his fear. He wanted to kiss her, but because he had never been good at showing affection, he was afraid he'd mess something up.

"If you give me a kiss, I'll give you one."

He swallowed hard and slowly leaned in, allowing his lips to brush her cheek. "'Night, Astrid. Sweet dreams."

Smiling, she returned the gesture. "Good-night, Hiccup. And sweet dreams to you, too."

The two then snuggled up a bit closer and shut their eyes. However, Hiccup waited to drift off until he felt Astrid's breathing become steady and relaxed, showing that she had fallen asleep.

He kind of liked this. He liked how her hair brushed against his chin, he liked how she was tucked into his chest, he liked how her hand rested on his shoulder, and he liked how it felt wrapping an arm around her as she slept. Even though they had not titled their relationship, and he still wasn't entirely sure where they stood in regards to that, he did realize, especially after the kisses they had just exchanged, that they were coming to the point where they would probably be lying if they said they were simply friends. But no matter what the case was, and what it would be in the future, he knew that at that moment, he was blissfully content spending the night beside her.

Maybe being shut up in the Academy really wasn't so terrible after all.


	17. Trust

**_Trust _**

**_..._**

**While re-watching "Appetite for Destruction," I noticed that Hiccup and Astrid seemed more flirty than usual ****_and_**** Astrid appeared to be unusually clingy. I know she usually wants to go with Hiccup when he does dragon adventure stuff, but this time she seemed extra persistent and more reluctant to not be with him. My Hiccstrid mind said something was up, so here's a fic about it. It turned out a bit more serious than I originally intended, but I still kinda like it. (P.S. I just noticed that there's very, ****_very_**** subtle ass touching in "Zippleback Down," so prepare to read a fic or two soon on that situation...)**

**SUMMARY: "Hiccup," Astrid began. "Do you trust me?" "I do," he said. "I...I trust you." Takes place right before "Appetite for Destruction." Hiccstrid fluff and adorable heart-to-heart bonding.**

**...**

Hiccup shoved a flask of yellow paint into his saddle bag and patted Toothless' back. Fishlegs had suggested to the group that they all mark dragons of neighboring islands with distinct colors that represented the island they lived on, and Hiccup had agreed to that idea. After all, it would be useful if there was a way to keep track of which dragons came from where.

"I call that I'm partners with you!" said Astrid, walking up to Hiccup and giving his arm a playful nudge.

"Wait, who said we were going in teams?" Hiccup asked, glancing around at the others.

"Well, the twins are going to their island together, so I just figured..." She trailed off and shied away from his gaze.

Hiccup thought for a moment. "I was going to have us all go to the different islands by ourselves, but I guess we could work in pairs." Shrugging, he looked in Fishlegs' direction. "Fishlegs, is it okay if you wait back on Berk with Snotlout?"

"Um..." began Fishlegs.

"We need a couple people to stay here in case there's a problem and somebody has to send for reinforcements," Hiccup explained.

"I uh..." Fishlegs bit his lip.

"Alright, that settles it." Tossing paint to Astrid, Hiccup climbed onto Toothless. "Okay, bud," he said to the Night Fury. "As soon as Astrid's ready, we'll go. Sound good?"

Toothless let out a purr.

"I'm all set!" she shouted.

"Great. Let's head out, then." With that, Hiccup ascended into the air, aware of Astrid trailing close behind.

The ride to the island that Hiccup had volunteered to take charge of was unusually silent. Normally, he and Astrid would chat whilst flying. This time, however, neither of them spoke a word.

"You're awfully quiet today," he observed as the they both landed - with their dragons, of course - in a small clearing. "I thought you'd be uh...more talkative, considering that you um...wanted to come with me so bad." After hopping off of Toothless, Hiccup walked to where Astrid was sitting atop Stormfly and reached an arm out towards her.

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Hiccup, I don't need help getting off my dragon," she scoffed. However, she still took his hand and allowed him to assist her onto the ground.

"You alright?"

"Fine." She nodded briefly.

"Um...okay, then. Well, let's uh...see what dragons we can find." He started to turn away, only to be stopped by her grabbing his arm.

"Wait! It's still pretty um...early in the morning, Hiccup," Astrid spoke.

He twisted back around to face her. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"What I'm getting at here is that I think we have time for a little procrastinating. And...and we haven't...you know...hung out for a while. Just the two of us, I mean." Her cheeks tinted pink.

Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck. This was a bit weird. Yes, they'd spent a good amount of time alone before doing both duties and things that weren't duty-related, but that didn't mean 'hanging out' - as she had put it - wasn't still an awkward thing to discuss.

She punched his arm lightly. "Hiccup?"

"Well, what did you uh...wanna do, Astrid?"

The blonde Viking shrugged. "We could take a walk."

Biting his lip, he slowly nodded. "Alright, then."

As they set out - Toothless and Stormfly following closely behind - Astrid abruptly took his hand and laced his fingers together with hers.

Hiccup looked down at their intertwined hands and felt his face turn warm. "Erm..."

"Just because," she quickly explained. "You don't mind, do you?"

"It's...it's okay. Lets just...let's just get on with this walk."

Astrid playfully elbowed him as they began to move forward. "You don't have to be so pushy."

"I'm not pushy, I -"

"Hush up."

Hiccup fell silent. For a while, he simply walked beside Astrid, relishing the feeling of her touch. He was a little confused as to why she was acting like this, though he enjoyed it nonetheless. But then, she bumped into him - on purpose or by accident he didn't know - and he caught a scent he swore was sweeter than anything he'd ever encountered. Sure, she always smelled nice, but now, she smelled even better than nice.

"Did you...did you take a bath this morning?" he asked, cursing himself as soon as the words left his mouth. With his luck, she'd think he was trying to tell her she reeked.

"Hiccup Haddock!" she scolded, letting go of his hand and punching his arm.

"I...I'm sorry. It's just...well...you smell really good." His cheeks were reddening.

Astrid's disapproval seemed to slowly melt away as her scowl transformed into a small smile. "Well, in that case, I forgive you."

Hiccup grinned.

"Let's sit," decided Astrid. Without further warning, she plopped onto the ground.

"Erm...alright." Shrugging, he followed her example.

"So..."

"So what?"

"Snotlout dared me to kiss him yesterday after you left the Academy."

A twinge of anger rushed through Hiccup's body. Although Astrid technically wasn't _his_ girl yet, he still didn't like the idea of the other guys getting cozy with her. "And what did you do?"

"I punched him in the nose. Then, he offered to kiss me." She gagged. "And after that, Tuffnut joined in and asked if Snotlout and I wanted to use his 'dark, soggy alone place' for some time to ourselves."

"Well..." He chuckled nervously, unsure of how to respond.

"I told them that there's no way I'll let anyone kiss me. Ever. Except..." She paused. "Except maybe my future husband. But even then, I'd rather be the one to initiate that sort of thing." Wrinkling her freckled nose, she pulled her boots off. "By the way, I'm gonna go wading in that stream over there." She pointed to a small pool of water that lay a few feet in the distance. "Come with me."

"I uh..." Hiccup froze. Ever since he'd lost his foot, he had been reluctant to swim or do anything else of the sort, mostly because it involved taking off his metal leg and allowing others to see the marks of his injury.

"It'll be fun," encouraged Astrid. She rolled up her leggings and removed her shoulder armor.

"My...my leg..." He gulped out.

"It's alright. I'll help you walk if you need me to."

"No, it's...it's not that, Astrid." Looking away, he shook his head. "It's...you don't need to see the...the burns, and the scars, and -"

"I don't care."

He turned back to her. "But -"

"Hiccup..." Biting her lip, she suddenly lifted the edge of her shirt ever so slightly, causing him to hold back a gasp at what he saw. A set of large, distinct scars rested just above her hip, marking up her smooth skin. They were only half as bad as his, but still obvious nonetheless.

Blushing, he stammered, "I...I...why are you...I mean, isn't that sort of uh...private?" It was usually considered improper and immodest for a girl to show any skin between her neck and knees.

"I trust you," she said quietly as she rolled her top back down.

"More than you trust Snotlout?"

She responded with an eye roll. "Of course, you idiot! Now, come to the stream." Standing up, Astrid took his arm and pulled him to his feet - well, foot.

"Fine," sighed Hiccup. "Just...just let me take my shoe off."

"Okay." She kept a grip on him while he removed his boot, then led him to the little pool.

Blushing, Hiccup sat down, unfastened his metal leg, and folded up the ends of his pants. After that, he slipped over to the edge of the water and dipped his toes into it. "I have to admit, this does feel pretty good."

"See? I knew wading was a good idea." Astrid stepped into the stream.

As Hiccup heard a noise, he twisted around to see Toothless and Stormfly playing with each other. The two dragons had picked up on their riders' growing bond, and recently had started the formation of a similar one. Hiccup smiled to himself at the sight of the two reptiles scampering about. However, his enjoyment was soon interrupted by a splash of water hitting him. "Sorry," he apologized as he turned back to Astrid. "I was just...distracted by the dragons."

"Hiccup," she began, sitting down beside him. "I...I know I just told you that I trust you, but...but I have to know something." She took a deep breath. "Do you trust me?"

Caught off-guard by the question, he froze for a few seconds before answering with, "I do. I...I trust you."

"Good." Nodding slowly, she shifted closer to Hiccup and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Her free hand reached up to cup his chin, where the slightest bit of light fuzz was starting to grow.

"What the -" he started.

Smiling, she bent down and kissed his lips.

Hiccup eagerly returned the gesture while hugging her about her middle. Astrid's kisses were always the best, especially when she took him by surprise as she had just done. It was no wonder Snotlout wanted to kiss her.

"You know, we need to get out like this more often," she stated once they had pulled away from one another.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe...um...uh...what are you doing tomorrow night?"

She gave him one of her adorable, excited grins - the ones where she showed only her top row of teeth as she bit down on her bottom lip in an attempt to conceal her level of exhilaration. "Nothing," she finally answered.

"Do you...erm...wanna go out for a ride after supper, then? On Toothless, I mean. Both of us on Toothless. Like, you know...like we did the...the first time you met him."

"Nah." She turned away with a shrug, then almost instantly brought her gaze back to Hiccup's. "Just kidding. Of course I want to."

"Alright. Well, in that case, we're good." He placed a hand on Astrid's shoulder. "Now, I think we'd better get on with marking those dragons."

"Yeah...uh..." She shook her head quickly, as if to snap herself out of a trance. "Right. I'll go...I'll go grab my boots and shoulder pads."

After the pair got their things on, they each mounted their respective dragon and flew into the air.

"I bet I can mark more than you can!" Astrid shouted, drawing her paint flask from her saddle bag.

"Yeah, yeah, I doubt that," Hiccup shot back.

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, do you? Well..."

"How about we make a bet," he suggested. "If you mark more dragons than I do, I'll have you over for supper before our ride tomorrow. But if I mark more, you have to kiss Snotlout."

Gasping, she cast Hiccup a look of horror. "You wouldn't dare make me do that!"

"That's what you think." He winked.

"Fine," sighed Astrid. "It's on. But you need to promise that you and Toothless will go easy on Stormfly and I. Otherwise, tomorrow's flight is off."

**...**

**I usually don't put A/Ns at the end of chapters, but I just need to ask if anyone picked up on the slight indication to Hiccstrid's future marriage in here. It was my first time trying to do something like this, so I'm just wondering how it turned out:)**


	18. Bad Day

**_Bad Day_**

**_..._**

**Just another outtake from ****_The Vanishing Dragons_****. And I realize Astrid and kind of Hiccup are OOC, but the backstory is that he's stressing out over everything and she's pregnant and moody. When looking up how moodiness works during pregnancy, I found that it could range from anger, to crying, to not wanting anything to do with the baby's father, to not wanting him out of sight. Astrid basically does it all, haha. But anyway...**

**SUMMARY: Astrid is a hormonal, pregnant mess. Hiccup has to care for her, as well as for the people of Berk and a sick Toothless. Needless to say, it isn't necessarily a fun experience for either of them.**

**...**

"Astrid!" called Hiccup as he pushed the door open and entered the house. "Astrid, where are you?" Without waiting for a response, he made his way upstairs and into the loft. There, he saw his wife - who was three months pregnant - lying in bed, her cheeks tear-stained and her eyes moist.

"Hiccup!" she exclaimed, sitting up and bringing a hand to her head at the sensation of dizziness that came with the sudden movement.

In an instant, Hiccup was by her side, his arms fastening around her. "Darling, what's wrong?"

A fresh flow of tears poured down Astrid's face. "I-I waited for you last night, but you never came home! T-The storm was awful; I didn't know what happened to you, and -" She crawled onto his lap and buried her face into the chilled leather of his flight suit.

"Shhh." He stroked her hair, which was flowing loosely over her shoulders. The day before, he and Valka had gone out to investigate a potential problem on Dragon Island. On the way back, a windy snowstorm had begun, and they had been forced to settle down in a cave for the night and wait out the bad weather.

For the longest time, Astrid simply clung to him and sobbed, releasing the jumble of emotions that was built up inside of her.

"How are you feeling?" asked Hiccup once her crying had died down. "Fishlegs found Mom and I and told me that you fainted and threw up earlier when he stopped by here."

"I made him promise not to say anything," she muttered.

"Well, he told me anyway."

Astrid groaned.

"And besides, did you really think I wouldn't know you weren't feeling well by the fact that you were lying in bed with all your armor and everything on?"

She shook her head. "No, but I...I just didn't want you to get all overprotective."

"Oh gods, what am I gonna do with you, Astrid?" he murmured affectionately as he kissed the top of her head.

The room grew silent.

"Have you eaten anything today?" Hiccup asked after a while.

"Not yet."

Sighing, he pulled her closer to him. "I'll tell you what, milady. You change into your nightgown, and I'll go see what I can find you for breakfast," he suggested. "Or lunch. I guess it _is_ noon already."

"Please stay," begged Astrid. She lifted her face to meet his. Although she knew she should eat something, she was reluctant to have Hiccup abandon his comforting hold on her. The couple hadn't cuddled up at all over the past few days - save one night in bed - and that just wasn't sufficient for Astrid.

"It'll take no more than a half hour," he assured. Then, noticing her sad expression, he leaned down to kiss her lips. "Smile, darling."

Astrid simply laid her head in the crook of his neck and hugged his shoulders. "I don't feel like smiling."

"What has gotten into you, milady? It's not like you to be this clingy."

"Our baby, that's what's gotten into me," she answered dryly.

Hiccup chuckled softly before growing quiet. Eventually, he said, "Astrid, I hate to break it to you, but I need to go out again before the day is over."

"No, you don't." She leaned further into him.

"But Mom and Fishlegs are still out there with Toothless; he seems sick, and we're not sure what's wrong. I told them I'd come back as soon as I could." As he spoke, Hiccup rubbed circles on her back in an attempt to soothe her.

Astrid didn't respond.

"Do you want me to brew some tea to help your stomach?" he offered once a length of time had passed. "You could drink it while I'm gone."

She shook her head. "I just want to snuggle with you."

Suppressing a groan, he laid his cheek on the top of her head. The reason he had gone home was because he'd thought Astrid was as unwell as Fishlegs had made her out to be when he had told him of the day's earlier events. But as it had turned out, her tears and distress had mostly been over wanting to cuddle. It wasn't that he minded cuddling in itself, it was that he needed to get things done elsewhere - things that didn't involve sitting with Astrid curled in his lap, her weight making his legs go numb from being trapped in the same position.

"Darling, Toothless is sick," he repeated. "So, how about I help you get your nightgown on, make you some crab cakes and tea, and let you rest while I go tend to that."

"But I really want you here, hun." She played with the strands of hair that grazed his neck.

"I can't."

"You mean you _won't_."

He sighed. "Look Astrid, I really don't want to get into a disagreement again, but I have other obligations to take care of. The sooner I leave, the sooner I'll be back. The sooner I come back, the sooner we can spend time together."

A tear rolled down her cheek.

He tried to hold back a groan again. This time, however, he was unsuccessful. "Please no more crying," he begged. Normally, Hiccup encouraged her to let out all her bad feelings by having a good cry. But now, he wasn't sure why exactly she was this upset over him needing to do his duties, and his internal frustration was beginning to surface.

"But I love you," sniffled Astrid, digging her nails into his flight suit and wrapping her legs around his waist.

"For Thor's sake, I love you, too. Now ease up on the death grip, please." He grabbed her feet one by one and gently pried them off of him. He then unfastened her arms and gingerly pushed her onto the mattress.

"Hiccup!"

"I'll get your nightgown," he said, springing up and rushing to their shared dresser to find the article of clothing.

"Hiccup, I just -"

Before Astrid could continue, the sound of the front door opening was heard. "Hiccup? Astrid?"

That was Valka.

"We're in my room, Mom. Come on up," responded Hiccup.

In a matter of a few seconds, Valka entered the loft. Looking from her son to her daughter-in-law, she asked, "What's going on? Is Astrid okay?"

"She's fine. She's sort of lightheaded and has a little upset stomach, but it's nothing a good meal and some tea won't fix. The problem is, she's gotten it into her head that she needs me to hold her, and it's starting to drive me absolutely insane." He let out a sigh.

"But you've barely been home these past few days!" protested Astrid. "And I've spent two out of the past three nights sleeping alone. I just want you to be close."

Hiccup turned to face his wife. "Well, you were the one who kicked me out of the room one of the nights we were apart." A couple days ago, the two had gotten into a fight that had left him sleeping on the couch.

"Stop, dears," Valka said, holding up a hand. "Hiccup, come out onto the stairs for a minute. I need to talk to you."

"Um...okay." Confused, Hiccup followed his mother. When she shut the door to his and Astrid's room behind them, he raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong? Is Toothless okay?"

She nodded. "He'll be fine. Fishlegs is flying him back right now. But what I wanted to tell you, son, is that you need to go easy on your sweet wife. Pregnancy is a hard time for a woman. She's preparing physically and mentally to have a child that she'll need to care for, and that's harder than you think, dear. She's gonna be all over the place until the baby arrives. You have to be there for her."

"I have other duties, though! I love her, but I can't -"

"Hiccup, like it or not, she needs you. Sometimes, she'll be her normal self. Others, you'll have to give her a little extra affection and reassurance. And of course, there will also be the times where she doesn't want anything to do with you." Valka smiled and shook her head. "When I was expecting you, I remember that I once made your father lie down with me all afternoon when I wasn't feeling well. I never was one to act like that, but the fact that you were coming just made me want to be close to him. It's normal, and I can assure you that it will pass after the little one's here."

"But Toothless, and the town...Mom, we just had a huge snowstorm. The people are waiting for me to designate someone to help with home repairs, get their broken shovels fixed, and -"

"I'll take care of that, and if I see Fishlegs out there, I'll have him bring Toothless inside so you can be with him." Valka placed a hand on her son's shoulder. "Now, go to Astrid. And for the love of Thor, tell her you're sorry for acting like a mutton-head."

Without another word, Hiccup made his way back into the loft to see Astrid sitting on the bed in just her underwear, her nightgown lying in front of her.

"Don't look; I'm naked," she snapped, crossing her arms over her bare chest. Astrid was usually more than comfortable being nude around Hiccup - even throughout the recent weeks in which her body was beginning to change. But now, she was hurt and angry, and didn't think he deserved to catch a peek of her.

"Hey, it's nothing I haven't seen before." He shrugged and plopped down beside her. Taking the nightgown in his hands, he placed it over her head, then allowed her to slide her arms through and pull it down.

"Why are you even here? You just pushed me away."

"I came to say that I'm sorry." Hiccup wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled his nose against her cheek.

"That face-rubby thing won't fix this." Casting him a glare, she elbowed him.

He sighed. "Listen, darling. I didn't mean to treat you the way I did. I just...I'm stressed out with practically everything, and it's starting to make me lose my mind."

"So in other words, you're not accepting full responsibility for your actions?"

"No! Astrid, I didn't mean it that way. I just...I screwed up. I'm an idiot. I failed as a husband, and I'm sorry."

"You're _my_ screwed-up idiot of a husband, though." Astrid laid her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you for summing that up." He released his hold on her, then crawled to the top of the bed and got under the furs. "Now, come snuggle."

Smiling, she eagerly joined him beneath the covers and nestled against his chest, a contented sigh escaping her lips as he cuddled her close and pressed kisses into her hair.

"And darling?" Hiccup began.

"Hmm?"

"Don't you ever forget that I love you."


	19. Someday

**_Someday_**

**_..._**

**So...more younger Hiccstrid. Yay! This is a scene I think could've happened after the ending of ****_The Eel Effect. _****And sorry to disappoint, but there's no kisses this time because Astrid's sick.**

**SUMMARY: A sick Astrid, a caring Hiccup, and an empty house equals an interesting conversation. Set after "****The Eel Effect."**

**...**

"Hiccup, I'm fine," Astrid insisted with a cough as she wrapped her arms around her shivering body. She was seated in the Great Hall, along with the other people of Berk who were affected by the illness known as eel pox. "Just -"

"You're shaking more than Fishlegs does when he spooked," Hiccup argued. He looked about to see if he could catch sight of a blanket for her to wrap in. However, it appeared there were none left, as only half the patients had one. The other half were huddled close to the fireplace, fighting each other for space.

A sneezing fit overtook her before she could reply.

"Alright, that's it. I'm taking you to my house." He held out his hand to help her up.

Somewhat reluctantly, Astrid allowed Hiccup to pull her to her feet and lead her outside, partly ashamed she was showing weakness and partly too run down to care. "I-I -" Her shivers grew worse as the chilly winds struck her.

"Let's go." He assisted her in mounting Toothless, then climbed on in front. Nearly as soon as they were both settled, he felt her trembling body hesitantly press against him. "It's okay," he assured. "You can uh...get close...I mean, if you need to, you can."

Without saying a word, she fastened her arms about his chest and wrapped her legs around his waist, her head burrowing into his shoulder in an attempt to relieve some of the pounding that was going on inside of it.

Biting down on his lip, Hiccup urged his Night Fury toward home.

"Hic-Hic-Hiccup," Astrid began with a sniffle.

"What's wrong?"

"Y-Y-You don't have to...to do this. I can t-t-take care of...of myself."

He shook his head. "Nonsense."

"But I-I don't want to get _you_ sick."

"Don't worry about me. I'll be okay." Hiccup landed in front of the house. After he and Astrid both got off of Toothless' back, he led her inside, aware that the dragon was following after them.

"S-S-So..."

"Here." Hiccup grabbed several furs off of the nearby couch and shoved them into Astrid's arms. He then guided her over to the burning fire. "Now sit."

She complied.

"Oh, gods," he muttered, reaching under the blankets to undo her shoulder armor. After tossing it aside, he pulled off her boots and took one of her feet in his hands, his fingers quickly rubbing feeling into her frozen toes. Normally, he wasn't this bold - especially not bold enough to undress her like that, innocent as the act was, nor massage her feet. But this circumstance wasn't an ordinary one; his protective mode was fully on and working, and he cared about nothing except nursing her back to health.

"You already had some medicine back in the Great Hall, right?" he asked as he moved to her other foot.

She nodded.

"Good. It should kick in by morning. But until then, you need to take it easy." Once he finished warming her toes, he pulled over a padded chair. "This will be more comfortable than the floor, okay?"

"Okay." Astrid climbed onto the cushion and snuggled against the feather pillow that was resting on the seat. Her shivers had started to die down, but she was still feeling a little chilled.

"Hey, scoot over."

Lifting her eyes, she saw Hiccup standing in front of her, Toothless by his side and Sharpshot - his Terrible Terror - climbing over his shoulders. "Why?"

"Body heat helps with warmth," he reminded gently, his cheeks turning a shade darker at the comment.

"Right." She coughed and moved closer to the pillow. Once Hiccup was settled in beside her, she leaned against his arm and curled herself so that her feet were tucked half-beneath her. She then tossed one of the furs over him and laid her head in the crook of his neck.

"So...you wanna hear about my adventure with Toothless that I had today?" he asked as he wound an arm about her shoulders.

Toothless let out a purr at the sound of his name and planted himself beside the chair.

"Sure," she said, smiling at the sight of Sharpshot nestling into a ball on her stomach. She loved Terrible Terrors; though they weren't large enough to ride, she adored how affectionate they could be, and the chirpy songs they sang at dawn were always cheerful to her ears.

Hiccup narrated to Astrid the story of how Toothless had accidentally swallowed an eel and gone practically mad from it, leaving not a detail out. As he spoke, he watched her lovingly caress Sharpshot's head and scratch beneath his chin, thinking in the back of his mind about how it was such a wonderful scene to witness. Although she had a habit of acting tough and sometimes even insensitive, she definitely possessed a softer side - something she'd recently begun to show more around him.

"That sounds like quite the adventure," she remarked when the tale was finished. "I wish I could've been there."

"Hey, you can't go on _every_ adventure with me, Astrid."

The blonde Viking scooped the Terror up into her arms and cuddled him to her chest, the sound of his contented purr soothing her. "No, not now I can't. But maybe someday." She yawned.

"What in the name of Thor do you mean by that?" Hiccup wondered, raising an eyebrow.

Before Astrid could respond, the sound of the front door opening was heard, followed by the heavy sound of Stoick's footsteps and the soft patter of Thornado's.

"Son, I'm -" The chief broke off as he caught sight of the two teens snuggled up beside each other on the chair.

"Hey, Dad," began Hiccup. He felt his cheeks grow warm. "I uh...I brought Astrid here so I could...could take care of her. The Great Hall was too crowded and um..."

Stoick smiled down at the comfortable pair. "It's fine, Hiccup. You know she's always welcome here."

"Yeah, I know that," Hiccup responded awkwardly.

"Well, I'm off to bed for the night. I've got a lot of rest to catch up on." The chief began to walk away. "Good-night."

"'Night, Dad."

Once the sound of Stoick's bedroom door shutting was heard, Astrid said, "You know, we've been friends for a while now. You don't have to get embarrassed about your dad seeing us like this."

Hiccup sighed. "That's the thing. We're supposed to be friends...maybe best friends...at least I think that's what we are, anyway. But he...uh...he sometimes jokes about you being his future daughter-in-law." His face reddened at the last statement.

"Like I said earlier, maybe someday. But not now."

"Wait...you were talking about _marriage _when you said that?" His eyes widened.

She sneezed. "I gotta marry someone, you know. I mean, I get lonely at home by myself, believe it or not." Astrid's parents had died when she was little. The people of the village had worked together to care for her throughout her childhood, but once she'd hit her teens, they had assumed she could function well enough to not need guardianship any longer.

"And you're choosing me?"

"Who else would I be able to put up living with for life besides my best friend?" She stroked Sharpshot's back.

"Well, I um..." He shied away from her gaze.

"Not now," she reminded gently. "Just...just someday."

"I think this eel pox is getting to your head," Hiccup stated. In all honestly, he felt that Astrid would be his wife in the future. But for now, marriage was a bit of an overwhelming thing for him to be thinking of. After all, he'd only just turned sixteen two months ago. It would be at least another three years before he even considered settling down.

"And I think dragons are getting to yours," she shot back teasingly before letting out a yawn and snuggling closer to him. "I mean, you do think about them more than you probably should."

"Maybe. Maybe not." He shrugged and laid his head on top of hers.

"You know, you really need to learn to make up your mind."

"I will...someday."


	20. Comfort

**_Comfort_**

**_..._**

**So...I haven't posted in a while. I haven't had much energy left at the end of the day for writing. But here's Something it's not the greatest, but it's something...and also, ****_I have a bunch of Hiccstrid marriage headcanons. Let me know which one(s) you'd most like to see me make a oneshot out of._**** And feel free to use any of these prompts to write fluff of your own. Just credit me for the idea if you do so:**

**1) Hiccup and Astrid have early morning breakfasts together sometimes to get alone time in before the little Haddocks wake up. **

**2) Hiccup often has insomnia and wakes Astrid up with kisses in the middle of the night. **

**3) Hiccup sometimes gets in the bath with Astrid or vice versa if they're running late; they have no shame, haha. **

**4) If it's just him and Astrid at home, Hiccup usually doesn't wear a shirt. This encourages Pervstrid a little too much;) **

**5) Because Astrid's always wanting to snuggle/cuddle (and is surprisingly super huggable), Hiccup starts calling her a cuddlebug. Needless to say, she hates that nickname.**

**6) Being the affectionate family they are, it's not unusual for Hiccup and Astrid's bed to be filled with small children and Terrible Terrors at night.**

**7) Hiccup sometimes spoils Astrid with breakfast in bed and a foot rub in the morning, then prepares a warm bath for her at night. While she's relaxing, he keeps towels and her nightgown warm by the fire so she can avoid chills after climbing out of the bath.**

**SUMMARY: After Stoick's death, Astrid provides Hiccup with the comfort he needs - even if that comfort just means lying beside him in bed at night. Post-HTTYD2. Angsty fluff. (P.S. They did ****_not_**** have sex before this; Hiccup just sleeps shirtless, haha. They're both clothed otherwise, so don't get creeped out.)**

**...**

"Thanks again for staying with me, Astrid," Hiccup said as his fiancée lowered herself beside him on the mattress and pulled the covers to her chin. Ever since that day - that fateful day two weeks into the past on which Toothless had killed his father - he had been cursed with a fresh emotional scar that haunted him day and night. Because of this, he and Astrid had both concluded that it would be best for her to move in with him right away rather than after their wedding, which was scheduled to take place in three months.

"You don't have to thank me for this every night," Astrid responded. "You know I don't mind. I mean, we decided together. I _wanted_ to do it." She curled her legs so that they were away from the bed's footboard and gently pushed Hiccup onto his side. Her fingers dug into his bare, freckled shoulders, loosening all the spots that had tightened up with the day's work and giving him a sense of comfort.

"I know. I just...I just want to make sure you know I appreciate it."

She didn't say a word. Instead, she simply moved her hands to his spine and traced it with her thumbs. When she reached the bottom of his back, she circled one of her pinkies around the top of his pants.

"And I appreciate the nightly massages, too," he added. I'm starting to feel spoiled."

"Well, I say you deserve to be spoiled a bit." She placed her chin on his shoulder and leaned her face into the side of his head, allowing herself to press a few kisses onto the tender patch of skin below his ear. As she did so, she wrapped her arms about his waist and draped her feet on top of his bent legs.

Hiccup placed a calloused hand on top of her clasped fingers. "Astrid, can you promise me something?"

"It depends what it is."

"Promise...promise you'll never leave me," he began slowly. "I mean, not...not like leave me as my fiancée or wife, but leave me like...like how my dad left me."

"I'll try not to, Hiccup." Astrid sighed. "But unfortunately, I'm not in control of those things."

He groaned.

"What's wrong, hun?" she asked.

"Nothing," he muttered.

"Come on, we both know that's a lie." Astrid relaxed her hold on him, permitting him to turn around and face her.

Hiccup let out another groan and pressed a hand onto his forehead. "It's...it's just that I...I had a dream last night that...that you and my mom died with my dad, and it..." He trailed off as his voice began to crack, vivid memories of the nightmare crowding his mind with images he would rather not see.

"Why didn't you tell me about this in the morning?" she wondered gently.

"I...I didn't want to worry you." He tried to hold back his emotions, but a tear escaped and trickled down his cheek.

"Hiccup, you know I worry more when I find out you're hiding things like this from me than when you tell me right away." Reaching up, she ran her fingers through his disheveled auburn locks and kissed his forehead.

He snuggled closer to her and took her into his arms. As he felt more tears begin to fall, he buried his face in her soft hair, allowing himself to inhale her comforting scent.

"Oh, babe," murmured Astrid, returning his embrace.

Once his cries had died down, he lifted his head and looked her in the eye. "I love you, darling. I love you." Hiccup had never been one to be expressive with words. But since he'd lost his father so suddenly - and without getting the chance to tell him just how much he truly appreciated him - he now made sure to remind his fiancée that he loved her every night before bed, every morning when they woke up, and sometimes even a few additional times throughout the day.

"I love you, too." She cuddled against his naked chest and let out a yawn.

"You tired?" he asked.

Nodding, Astrid pulled herself a bit closer to him so as not to get too close to the edge of the bed - which was really meant for one person - and squeezed her eyelids shut. "Good-night, hun. Wake me if you need anything."

"I uh...I actually need something now, darling."

"Hmm?" She lifted her head.

"I can't let you sleep without a kiss." That was another thing Hiccup had recently felt the urge to always need to do - make sure he kissed her enough.

"Then kiss me."

Leaning in, he pressed his lips onto hers. He then tucked the furs about her and squeezed her more tightly - the former because the night was chilly, and the latter because he still felt the intense need for her comfort.

"Is everything good for now, then?"

"As good as it can get."

The room grew silent.

"Just...just..." started Hiccup eventually.

"Just what?"

"Astrid, just...just please never forget that I couldn't live without you."

"Believe me; I won't."


	21. Day In

**_Day In_**

**_..._**

**I'm working on the oneshots for the marriage headcanons still, but I just came up with this drabble and thought it would be a cute idea. Hiccup is just the sweetest boyfriend ever:) I know the last line is a bit not-so-sweet, but hey, Hiccup just feels lucky. Also, I'm not abandoning ****_Falling for Him_****. I've just been too busy to rewatch the first episodes and pick out the Hiccstrid scenes. I hope to get around to that soon, though:) And if you want, go vote on my poll on my profile about how cuddly you think Hiccup and Astrid are. I'm just curious.**

**SUMMARY: Hiccup tries to ease Astrid's discomfort during her time of the month. Pure fluff.**

**...**

Hiccup approached Astrid's front door and gently rapped on it. "I'm here!" he called.

There was a momentary pause before a groggy voice said, "Come in, babe."

As he entered the house, Hiccup was met with an unusual sight. His girlfriend, who was almost always up and about doing one thing or another, was instead lying on her couch, a nightgown replacing her typical everyday attire. The smile that had a habit of appearing on her face whenever she saw him wasn't there, and her eyes appeared glazed over and distant.

"Hey," she yawned.

"Astrid," he began, walking over to the blonde and kneeling on the ground in front of her. "Are you sick?"

She shook her head. "No. I just...it's...well..."

"What, darling?"

Sighing, Astrid shied away from his gaze. "Never mind," she muttered softly. "You wouldn't understand."

"And how would you know that?"

"Because it's...it's a girl problem, Hiccup."

"What do you mean by 'girl problem?'" He raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I mean that...that I'm...I'm bleeding...in _that_ place." The words came out in an almost embarrassed whisper.

Hiccup nodded briefly. He had heard before that women bled each month - unless they were pregnant - so it didn't surprise him that Astrid was experiencing this. After all, she had turned eighteen a few weeks ago; it would have been more shocking to him if she _hadn't _started her cycles yet. "Well, I don't mind," he reassured, his cheeks tinting ever so slightly. "We can still go for our flight. I'll just tell Toothless to take it easy on you."

"It's not that." Astrid shook her head. "It's...well...I have cramps from my stomach to my knees, my back hurts, I have a headache, and I'm exhausted." She let out a sigh. "I mean, I...I know the time of the month isn't supposed to be fun, but it's just...it's treating me horribly today."

He reached over and pushed her hair out of her eyes. "Is there any way I can help, milady?"

She chewed on her lip. "Well...well, I guess...uh...well, could you just stay for a little while and...and keep me company? I mean, if you don't mind."

"Of course I don't." Giving her a crooked grin, he motioned for her to move aside.

Astrid pulled herself into a sitting position. Once Hiccup climbed in behind her - his head resting on the arm of the couch - she settled between his legs and leaned back against his chest.

"Will it bother you if I put my arms around you?"

"Here, let's try this." She guided Hiccup's hands to her belly button. "Heat helps the cramps," she explained.

Kissing her hair, he gently rubbed small circles onto her stomach.

"Hun, your leg is starting to annoy me," she murmured eventually. Reaching down, she unfastened his metal foot and tossed it onto the ground. "And this boot, too." She pulled his single shoe off and placed it alongside the prosthetic.

"Better?"

Nodding, she grabbed the blanket that was draped over the back of the couch and spread it out over them. She then let out a sigh and cuddled into him once more. "I'm sorry I ruined our date," she said after a long pause.

"You didn't ruin anything, Astrid," Hiccup comforted, pulling her closer to him and pressing kisses along her jawline.

"But -"

"Shh. Don't worry about it. Just rest." He ran his fingers through her hair. "Alright, darling?"

Astrid nodded against him and allowed her eyelids to fall shut.

Hiccup watched as her breathing grew even and her body relaxed into a state of slumber. And as he did so, he silently thanked the gods that he was a man.


	22. A New Addition

**_A New Addition_**

**_..._**

**Two warnings: one is about ****_mild_**** sexual references at the end, and the other is about Astrid breastfeeding their newborn. I know breastfeeding isn't gross, but some people would rather not read about that aspect of motherhood. Also, this oneshot was completely spontaneous because I had a desire to write mother/son cuteness between Hiccup and Valka and thought I could throw in a mommy and daddy Hiccstrid as well, haha. I am working on the Pervstrid oneshot still and it will be up ASAP;) And their baby is only two weeks old, so the reason Hiccstrid can't have sex is because Astrid's still recovering from the birth, so...**

**SUMMARY: Hiccup is feeling slightly overwhelmed with juggling chief duties and fatherhood. Hiccstrid and just family fluff in general. The Haddocks are a bunch of cuddlers, haha.**

**...**

"Shh, Mama's here," Astrid soothed as she lifted her wailing son into her arms.

The newborn's cries decreased to a few sniffles as he snuggled against his mother's chest, his mouth eagerly searching for a breast to feed from.

"Oh sweetie, Mama needs to undo her nightgown before you can eat. You'll just get a mouthful of fabric if you try to nurse now." Sinking onto the nearby wooden couch, Astrid undid the top few buttons of her garment. She then guided her baby to her nipple, which he eagerly latched onto.

"You feeding the babe before bed?" asked Valka as she stepped into the room.

Astrid nodded. "I swear to the gods, this child eats more than the entire family put together."

The older woman laughed. "It's always the tiny ones who have the biggest appetites. Hiccup was the same way. The strange thing is, he never seemed to get bigger."

Looking down at her newborn, Astrid considered how much he resembled his father. He was exceptionally small - like Hiccup had been up until his teenage years - his short, wispy hair was auburn, and whenever he tried to smile, his mouth curved at a crooked, awkward angle. "You're just like your daddy, huh, little Ander?" she murmured as she leaned down to kiss her son's head.

Ander merely made a grunting noise and nestled further into Astrid's chest.

"Mind if I sit with the two of you and work on my sewing?" Valka asked.

The blonde shook her head. "No, not at all."

With that, Valka took a seat beside her daughter-in-law and grandson and pulled a half-finished tunic from the basket that rested on the little table next to the couch. "Hiccup is running awfully late again tonight," she remarked after a pause.

"I know," sighed Astrid. "He has a lot of work to catch up on after taking those few days off for Ander's birth."

Ander cooed at the sound of his name before closing his eyes, his little mouth still contentedly suckling his mother's breast.

Laying her head gently atop her son's, Astrid took one of his chilly feet into her hand and lovingly rubbed her thumb over the backs of his tiny toes. "Mama loves you," she murmured whilst planting a kiss onto his forehead.

"He's such a sweet little thing," Valka commented. "And so quiet, too. Just like Hiccup was."

As if on cue, Hiccup walked through the door, his eyes bloodshot, his hair sticking up in every direction, and a frown upon his face. Toothless was beside him, looking just as worn out as his rider.

"Tough day?" Astrid guessed.

The young chief nodded as he came to join the rest of his family on the couch.

"Wanna talk about it?" Astrid prompted softly.

"I...I miss him," Hiccup choked out. "I...I thought he'd be here to help me through chiefing...to help me through fatherhood...but he's gone."

Concern was written on Valka's face as she laid her sewing aside and wrapped her arms around her son. "I know, dear. I know," she murmured.

In an instant, Hiccup's face was buried in Valka's neck and he was clasping her shoulders in an almost child-like way. He might have already been a parent himself, but that didn't mean he was ready to abandon the special comfort he could only get from his mother.

Knowing that her husband needed Valka at the moment rather than herself, Astrid quietly took her baby and ventured up to the loft. There, she reclined on the bed - Ander still feeding - and closed her eyes.

The newborn flexed his toes and tried in vain to grasp the sleeve of his mother's nightgown with an inexperienced fist.

"Relax, little one," Astrid spoke. "Mama's not going anywhere; she's just sleepy." She soothingly rubbed Ander's back through his shirt, which was a bit large for him.

Downstairs, Hiccup was still cuddled beside Valka, the tears he had shed whilst riding home on Toothless continuing in the safety of his only parent's arms. He always tried to be strong about his missing father; he tried to not even think of him. But every so often, he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with grief at the fact that he was no longer in his life.

"You want dinner, son?" Valka asked eventually, when Hiccup's sobs had settled down. "You haven't eaten since breakfast."

"Astrid..." he sniffled. "I never even paid her any attention today. I have to -"

"No." She leaned over to kiss Hiccup's head. "You eat some supper. She'll understand. She and the little one are probably busy finishing up with his feeding, anyway."

"But I...I haven't even so much as kissed her today. I haven't held Ander, I...I'm failing..."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. Get some nourishment, then head to your room and snuggle up with your wife and your sweet babe." When Hiccup didn't respond, she continued with, "Here, I'll go get you a bit of yak jerky and bread. You just sit."

He nodded in acknowledgement.

"And everything will be okay, dear," she added as she gave him one last squeeze and a kiss on the forehead before venturing to the kitchen. A few minutes later, she returned with the promised food.

After forcing himself to eat, Hiccup bid Valka good-night and trudged up to the loft with Toothless, who immediately walked to his stone bed and curled into a ball. It used to be rare for the Night Fury to grow this exhausted, but lately, due to all the chiefing duties his rider needed his help with, he was ready to sleep for a good nine or ten hours when he was brought in for the night.

The chief fumbled to unfasten the hooks on his flight suit, then stripped down to his pants and sat on the edge of his mattress to undo his metal leg.

"Babe," Astrid began as he settled in beneath the covers.

"Hmm?" Hiccup groaned, placing a hand against his aching head.

"If there's anything I can do to help, let me know." She gently pried Ander, who was now asleep, off her chest and set him beside her. Whilst she adjusted her nightgown for modesty, she continued with, "I know we have a baby now, but that doesn't mean I'm -"

"It's fine," he assured. "_I'm_ fine."

Taking the newborn into her arms once more, Astrid carried him to his cradle and lovingly tucked furs around his body to keep him warm. She then crawled back in beside her husband. "I know you're not fine," she said, running a hand through his auburn locks. "Talk to me."

"I love you." As he spoke, he secured his arms around his wife and pressed his lips onto hers in a messy kiss.

"I love you too, Hic," she returned.

"Oh gods, your feet are freezing!" he exclaimed as she cuddled in closer and nudged his one remaining foot with her chilly toes.

Astrid sighed. She knew it was Hiccup's habit to change the topic when he wasn't in the mood to discuss something. However, it was a tactic that he only used when something was _really_ eating away at him. "Hun, my feet should be the least of your concerns. I -"

"We need to sleep. Both of us." He yawned.

"You seriously don't want to talk about anything?"

Hiccup simply laid there, silently stroking Astrid's hair with one hand and holding her middle - which was just beginning to slim back down after giving birth to Ander - with the other.

"You know you can tell me whatever's on your mind," she prompted.

Eventually, the chief groaned and said, "I'm...I'm just a terrible husband. And a terrible father."

"Why would you say that, Hiccup? I'm happy. And Ander seems to love you."

"I've been too busy catching up with my chores around the village that I just feel like I've barely pay attention to either of you since I went back to chiefing."

"Babe, we both understand. You shouldn't feel guilty."

"But...but..."

"It's alright, hun. You're just adjusting to fatherhood. Just like I'm adjusting to motherhood. And once you get caught up with your duties and work out a good schedule, everything will fall into place."

"I...I just wish my dad were here to talk to about this, though."

"I know you miss him," Astrid murmured. Leaning up, she pecked the tip of Hiccup's nose.

"He always knew what to do. He'd always be able to tell me how to fix everything I screwed up. And you know more than anybody that I've screwed up a hell of a lot of things. I just...I just don't want marriage and parenting to be added to the list, and -"

"And they won't. Because we're gonna work through them together," she said firmly. "We're a team, remember?"

"You know, if I could make love to you, I'd do it right now," he responded after a pause, his familiar crooked smile appearing on his face.

Astrid laughed and buried her face into his bare shoulder. "Just a couple more weeks, babe. A couple more weeks."


	23. Little Haddock

**_Little Haddock_**

**_..._**

**So...here's another one. I might follow it up with a brief drabble on Astrid's concerns that Hiccup won't enjoy making love to her anymore a) with her post-baby body, b) after seeing her push a baby out (not a necessarily attractive scene), and c) watching her breastfeed. Of course none of those things are a turn-off for him, but it takes a little convincing for her to believe it. But eventually she gets over it, ****because in my head they go on to have another 5 or 6 babies together;) **

**SUMMARY: Hiccup and Astrid finally get to meet the baby they've been waiting for during the past nine months. Warning applies, as there is mention of some unpleasant aspects of post-childbirth effects and breastfeeding.**

**...**

"Congratulations, you have a little boy," smiled Valka as she peeled the covers up and gently moved the fussing newborn onto Astrid's bare stomach.

"Oh, Hiccup, look!" exclaimed Astrid, gazing at her child. Any doubts and concerns she'd ever had about becoming a mother faded as tears of joy flowed down her cheeks.

"Cradle him on your chest, dear," Valka said once she had cut the umbilical cord away from the infant. "He might be hungry."

"Babe." The blonde Viking motioned for her husband to untie her breast bindings as she carefully reached over and took her tiny son into her arms.

Hiccup did as he was asked, all the while keeping his eyes peeled on the newest Haddock. His baby. _Their _baby.

"You want some food?" Astrid asked softly.

A few small fussing sounds were heard as the newborn tried in vain to begin his first meal.

"You might need to help him latch." Valka walked over with a damp rag and started to wipe down her grandson.

"Here you go, love," murmured Astrid. While she spoke, she guided the baby to the tip of her right breast and watched him fasten his tiny mouth around it. Soon, the soft sound of gentle suckling could be heard.

"We're still naming him Ander, right?" Hiccup asked after a pause.

Astrid nodded. "Ander Stoick."

At the mention of the child's middle name, Valka's eyes filled with tears. Speechless, she kissed her daughter-in-law's head, then wrapped her arms around Hiccup and pulled him close. She'd known the two were planning to name their son Ander, but neither had mentioned what his full name would be. "I love you. All three of you," she murmured.

"I love you too, Mom," the young chief returned, burying his head in Valka's shoulder. When the embrace broke, he handed Astrid the baby blanket that she had made at the start of her pregnancy. "Here, darling. He might be cold."

"Thanks." Once Ander finished eating, Astrid bundled him up in the blanket and, for the first time, closely examined his face. His eyes were a bluish-green - maybe they would turn to a true green later on - his nose was on the larger side like Hiccup's, the little bit of hair he had atop his head was auburn, and his mouth sat at a slightly awkward angle. "Hiccup, he looks just like you!" she exclaimed.

"You think?" Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "I see a little bit of Hofferson in him." He leaned over to kiss his wife on the lips and run a calloused finger over the baby's cheek. "He has your round face."

"All babies have round faces," Astrid argued. After a pause, she asked, "Would you like to hold him?"

Hiccup froze. He had been ecstatic at the prospect of becoming a father, but at the moment, the idea of having such a fragile little person in his arms terrified him. He didn't know how to hold babies; Thor's hammer, he'd barely even gotten close to one before.

"Of course you do." The blonde shifted over. "Come sit. I'll show you how."

Hesitantly, Hiccup slid in beside Astrid. "I don't want to hurt him...I..."

"You won't." She placed the baby in his arms. "Just support his head with one hand and cradle his feet with the other."

As she moved her own hands away, a smile crept upon Hiccup's face. "He's ours," he whispered. "I can't believe he's ours." Fighting back a few happy tears, he pressed messy kisses all over Astrid's face. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"No need to thank me. We made him _together,_" she reminded, leaning onto her husband's shoulder with a yawn.

"Aww, look what you did, you little munchkin. You wore Mama out," Hiccup said to the newborn as he bent down to kiss his head.

"It was all worth it, though," smiled Astrid. She waited a few moments before reaching her arms out. "Could I have him back for a few minutes before I go get cleaned up?"

Hiccup frowned. "But I just got him."

"Hey, who's the one who just spent practically the whole night in labor?"

"Fine. You win." He passed the baby back to Astrid.

"Take him in the bath with you, dear," Valka spoke up. "He should probably be cleaned a little more thoroughly than just with a rag, and a bath is the perfect opportunity to bond with him. Just have Hiccup come help out; I'm sure he won't mind."

Astrid bit her lip. "What do you say, babe?"

"I can agree to that." The young chief wrapped an arm about her shoulders.

"Alright, dears. I'll go get the washtub ready." With that, Valka made her way out of the room, leaving the new family to enjoy a bit of alone time together.

...

Both Astrid and Hiccup awoke that night to the sound of Ander crying. Valka had told them he'd probably be hungry every couple hours, and that was already proving to be true, for he had eaten at least five times since his birth early that morning.

"Hello, love," Astrid murmured, lifting her baby into her arms and settling into the nearby rocking chair. "Mama's here. Mama has you now."

"You need help with anything?" asked a sleepy Hiccup as he sat upright in bed and rubbed his eyes.

She shook her head. "No, hun. We're fine." After struggling to undo the drawstring on Hiccup's tunic, which she had worn to bed, she placed Ander at her breast and guided him to a nipple. "There you are, munchkin. You fill your little tummy," she crooned, kissing the top of his head.

After about fifteen minutes, the baby pulled his mouth away from Astrid's chest and, letting out a small sigh, comfortably nestled there and shut his eyes.

"You wanna snuggle with Mama?" she asked, pulling her son closer and nuzzling his cheek. "You do that, sweetie. Mama loves to snuggle." She ran a finger over one of his feet and watched in wonder as his tiny toes curled, then flexed, then curled, then flexed.

"Hey, I want to cuddle, too," Hiccup called out softly while putting on a fake pout.

"Oh, shush. Let me enjoy it with our baby before he gets too big." She leaned against the pillow that was beside her and yawned. That was the last thing she remembered before drifting back off to sleep with Ander curled up in her arms. However, it wasn't too long before she was awakened again by soft fussing noises as the newborn fought to latch onto her breast once more.

"Shh," she soothed. "Don't wake Daddy again." Astrid helped her child begin his feeding session, which only lasted for about five minutes this time around. When he was done, she fixed her clothing and rose from the chair, ignoring the rush of blood she felt flowing from the burning space between her thighs. Ander needed a diaper change, and his comfort was far more important than hers at the moment. "Let's get you cleaned up, munchkin," she crooned.

The newborn stretched his stubby limbs, then began to whimper as he was laid on the small table that rested beside his bed.

"It's alright, love. Mama just needs to change your diaper."

"Astrid? Is he okay?" Hiccup asked as he opened his eyes and rolled over to face the rest of his little family.

"Yes. Now go back to sleep, Hic."

"Only if you come into bed again with me." He put on a lopsided grin. "It's lonely without you."

Astrid sighed. "I will. Just let me finish with his diaper and go get myself taken care of. I swear to the gods, you are so lucky you're a man." She wiped Ander's bottom with a damp rag.

"Are you alright?" Hiccup questioned.

"Yeah. I'm just sore and bleeding down there. Your mom said it's normal for the first couple weeks after birth, though." She struggled to pin a clean diaper onto her baby. Once she accomplished that task, she made her way to the washroom and cleaned herself, then crept back up to the loft and slipped beneath the covers with a moan.

"What's wrong?"

"He could have eaten a little more," Astrid replied. She hadn't realized how tender and full her breasts were until she'd laid down. "And come out of my body gentler. And -" She broke off with a yawn. "And he could also sleep longer."

A smile played on Hiccup's lips as he pressed a sloppy kiss onto her cheek and hugged her middle from behind. "Well, try to rest now while you can, alright?"

"Mmm," she groaned in response.

"Mmm," he copied, leaning down to nuzzle her neck.

"Stop." Astrid groggily broke free from Hiccup's grasp. "And let me be the big spoon." She nudged him until he rolled onto his other side, then snuggled up against his back and wrapped her arms around his stomach. As she shut her sleepy eyes, she tugged him closer and let out an exhausted, yet contented sigh.

Parenthood was going to be an amazing - albeit rough - journey.


	24. Sleepover

**_Sleepover_**

**_..._**

**So...I had thoughts of baby Hiccup and Astrid bouncing in my head and got a request to write this. It's not romance, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. Hiccup is just the most affectionate little Viking ever. Awww.**

**SUMMARY: Little three-year-old Hiccup Haddock enjoys a sleepover with his friend Astrid Hofferson whilst his mother babysits her. No romance; just child cuteness. Set in an AU where Valka was the one to make peace with the dragons, and therefore never left Berk.**

**...**

"Mama!" cried three-year-old Hiccup Haddock as he burst through his front door, a little blonde girl of the same age trailing behind. "Mama, we had a mudball fight with Ruffnut and Tuffnut!"

A tall, kind-faced woman - who was called Valka - stepped out of the kitchen to see two dirty children standing before her. "So you did. Was it fun?"

Both of the small Vikings nodded.

"You know this means a bath, right Hiccup?" Valka said, placing her hands on her hips and leaning down to ruffle her son's hair. She then turned her attention to the girl. "You too, Astrid."

Astrid Hofferson nodded. "Okay." After the death of both her parents - her father a month before she was born and her mother a day after her birth - Astrid had been left in the care of her uncle, Fearless Finn. However, Finn had just left that afternoon for the journey all of the Berkian men took annually, which in turn meant that Astrid was to stay with Valka and Hiccup until he returned.

"Can Astrid take a bath with me?" asked Hiccup.

"Only if she's okay with it," Valka answered.

The little blonde shrugged. "I don't care; I'll take a bath with him. He's one of my best friends!" She jumped up and down.

"Alright, then. Come on into the washroom, you two." Valka led the kids over to a room that contained a large tub, which was already filled, along with towels, soaps, and perfumes. "I'll get Cloudjumper to heat the water," she announced. Cloudjumper was her Stormcutter dragon whom she had adopted only two months after Hiccup's birth.

Whilst the large reptile squeezed his way through the door and slowly breathed fire into the washtub, Hiccup and Astrid wriggled out of their clothes.

"Okay," Valka said once Cloudjumper had finished his duty. "Let's get you darlings in the bath." She first helped Hiccup over the side of the tub, then Astrid.

"Mama, can we play?" The little Viking boy splashed at the water.

"You may play after you get clean." Valka gathered two washclothes and a bar of soap, then rolled up her sleeves and knelt at the side of the tub.

Hiccup put on a pout, but didn't complain further.

"Mrs. Haddock," began Astrid. "I only know how to give myself a bath a little bit."

"That's okay, honey. I can help," Valka assured. "Hiccup's still learning to bathe himself, too." She dipped one of the washclothes in the water, then rubbed soap onto it. "Who wants to go first?"

"Me!" Hiccup shouted. "But Mama, let me wash my tummy and my arms and my legs by myself. I know how, remember?"

"Yes, love, you may do that. Though since you're muddy, Mama will need to check when you're finished to make sure you scrubbed good enough."

"Okay."

Once Hiccup was clean, Valka helped Astrid wash, then sat back and allowed the two children to splash around in the water. At the sound of their giggles and childish conversations, sadness washed over her at the fact that she hadn't been able - and never would be able, for that matter - to give her son a sibling with whom to enjoy moments like this.

"Astrid, come race with me!" Hiccup was saying. "If you get across the tub first, you win."

"No. I'm getting cold," Astrid responded, hugging her knees to her chest. "I wanna go get my jammies."

"But Astrid!"

"Hiccup, I said I'm not gonna!" The little girl reached out a hand and hit her playmate on the arm.

"Mama, Astrid's being a bully!" Hiccup kicked his legs around.

Valka rose to her feet. "Alright, I think it's time to get out. Let me get you dears some towels." She walked to the nearby shelf and retrieved the items, then returned to the side of the tub and helped the little Vikings over the edge.

"Jammies, please," Astrid begged, pulling her towel tightly about her shaking form.

"I'll get them," promised Valka. "And Hiccup's, too. You darlings just go wait by the fire in the sitting room where it's warm."

"Mama, I don't want 'jamas. I just want my robe," Hiccup said. Usually, he would get warmed up in his bathrobe for a little while before putting his nightclothes on.

"We're not doing that tonight, love. When we have friends over, we wear real clothing unless we're in the bath. It's proper manners." She enveloped her son in his towel, then lifted him into her arms and kissed his cheek.

Hiccup began to whine. "But Mama, Astrid doesn't care!"

"Well, this is my rule. You need to respect it." She carried him out to the sitting room with Astrid following close behind. Once the two got settled comfortably in front of the fire, she made her way upstairs to find their pajamas.

It wasn't long before both children were dry, warm, and dressed - Astrid in a woolen nightgown and Hiccup in a comfortable tunic, leggings, and socks. After they had put their towels in the wash pile, they followed Valka into the kitchen for a snack.

"Mama, I want my cake and milk," Hiccup pleaded.

"I'm getting it, dear; you need to use your patience." Valka opened the pantry door.

Hiccup put on a pout and trudged over to the table, where he plopped down in his seat. "Astrid, sit next to me."

"Okay." Astrid climbed onto the chair beside him.

"Astrid, are you gonna sleep in my bed tonight? Mama said we're allowed to share my bed if we don't play too much."

"Is it comfy?"

He nodded. "And Astrid, I get very lonely when I sleep by myself so I was hoping you would please just share with me so I don't cry all night."

"Okay, I will."

It was then that Valka put a plate of cake and a glass of yak milk in front of each of the kids. "When you're done eating, it'll be time for a story and bed," she told them.

Hiccup and Astrid ate their snack, then climbed up to the loft with Valka following close behind. There, Hiccup crawled into his mother's lap and snuggled against her chest. "Astrid, I wanna cuddle my mama now. I always cuddle Mama at storytime. You can just sit on my bed because you don't have a mama."

At that remark, the little girl's eyes filled with tears and her lower lip began to tremble.

"What's wrong, Astrid?" Valka questioned.

"I want Mama. Uncle Finn says she left to go to a special vacation, but I don't think she's ever coming back!"

"Oh, honey." Valka stood up and, setting Hiccup down, walked over to Astrid and knelt down to her level. But before she could say anything more, her little boy was beside her with open arms.

"It's okay, Astrid. You can share my mama," he comforted as he tackled his friend with a hug.

Valka smiled at the sight of the two children enveloped in each other's embrace.

"Mrs. Haddock," said a sniffling Astrid once she and Hiccup had pulled away from one another. "Can you cuddle me?"

"Yes, I'll cuddle both of you." Valka walked back to the rocking chair she'd been sitting in previously and pulled Hiccup and Astrid onto her lap. Hugging them tightly, she asked, "How's this?"

"Nosey kisses," Hiccup demanded, twisting his head around. To his delight, his mother bent down and pressed her nose against his.

"My little love," she crooned as she touched her lips to his forehead.

"Love you too, Mama."

"Okay, let's hear a story now," Valka said.

After some fidgeting, Hiccup leaned against Astrid's shoulder and let out a yawn. "Tell the one where you got Cloudjumper and Daddy was mad."

Valka recited her story. When she was finished, she gave each of the children a loving squeeze and a kiss on the head. "Alright. It's time for you precious little Vikings to get to sleep."

Hiccup and Astrid reluctantly slipped out of Valka's arms and climbed up onto Hiccup's bed.

"Get under the covers," urged Valka. "It's gonna be chilly tonight."

"If I get too cold, I can cuddle with Astrid, right Mama?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes." Valka smiled. "That's what's nice about having a friend in bed with you." She tucked the furs around the children, then extinguished the candle by the bed. "Goodnight, darlings. Sleep well."

"Nighty-night, Mama." Hiccup reached out to hug his mother's neck and give her a small kiss on the cheek. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, dear."

"'Night, Mrs. Haddock," Astrid said. "Thank you for letting me cuddle with you and Hiccup."

"You're very welcome, Astrid. You just let me know if you need anything else, okay?"

"Okay."

With that, Valka stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her, leaving the kids to themselves.

"Hey Astrid, let's play the 'I'm thinking' game," Hiccup suggested in a hushed voice.

"How do you play?" Astrid asked, tugging the blankets up to her chin.

"I think of something and you guess what I'm thinking about. And I give you hints if you get stuck."

"Okay. I think you're thinking of Cloudjumper."

"Astrid! I didn't think yet! You can't guess until I say I'm ready!"

"Sorry."

Hiccup fidgeted a bit before saying, "I'm thinking of something now."

"Is it your mama?"

"No. It's not a person. It's something outside."

"Grass?"

"No."

"The ocean?"

He groaned. "How did you know?"

"It was a good guess."

"No, I think you read my mind."

"Did not."

"Did too." She yanked the furs off of her friend and cocooned herself up in them.

"Astrid, you stole my covers!" Hiccup whined. He reached over and pulled part of the blankets back over him.

"Stop acting like a baby."

"Stop being mean or I'll tell Mama on you."

The little girl stretched and yawned. "I'm sleepy."

"Yeah, me too." Hiccup drew closer to her. "We should kiss goodnight before we fall asleep like Daddy and Mama do. But not on the lips because kissing on the lips is yucky."

"Let's just kiss like this." Astrid leaned over and kissed Hiccup's cheek in a child-like manner.

"Okay." Taking the hint, he returned the gesture. "I'm so glad you're one of my best friends, Astrid."

The little blonde pressed against his side and let out another yawn. "Maybe when we're big I can get a crush on you and you can marry me and then we can figure out how to get a baby."

"Maybe. But only if I don't find a lady I like better."

"And only if I don't find a man I like better."

He yawned. "Can we not talk anymore? I wanna sleep."

"Okay, Hiccup."

The two children huddled even closer and shut their eyes. It wasn't long before they both drifted off into a peaceful slumber, one which they wouldn't rouse from until morning.


	25. Growing Pains (Part I)

**_Growing Pains_**

**_..._**

**This is a slightly awkward drabble, but it just popped into my head randomly. It's set in my AU where Valka never left. I just thought it was kinda a cute idea for Hiccup to comfort Astrid in an awkward kinda personal situation. And just to clarify, Astrid is wearing bindings because children in that time most likely just swam in just underwear or underwear and leggings when they got older (which is what the guys are using in here; both girls have bindings) but she's too embarrassed to do that even though she really has no purpose for covering up, so she wore them to go swimming. She's really not comfy with her body, though she will change in front of Hiccup in just underwear until she starts puberty. After they're married, she's fine with him seeing her naked and she's more than happy to share her body with him and loves the special intimate moments they share, but she won't walk around in her underclothes like he will, haha. The two most surprising things in their marriage are that he's more comfy about his body and she's the snuggly one who always wants to snuggle and hug in bed at night. But anyway...I'll shut up now.**

**SUMMARY: Hiccup comforts Astrid after the others tease her about being a late bloomer. Not meant to be perverted in any way.**

**...**

Thirteen-year-old Astrid Hofferson tried to hide her reddening eyes as she ran from the beach to her house, yanking her tunic over head as she did so. She and her small group of friends had just been swimming, as it was one of the rare, warm days on Berk. The event had been great fun; that is, until a certain inappropriate remark was made from Snotlout.

_Astrid still has a little girl's chest._

The words wouldn't have been so bad if Ruffnut, who - though a year younger than Astrid - had already begun blossoming into a young woman, hadn't joined in the teasing along with Tuffnut. Even Fishlegs had given into peer pressure and laughed along a bit. The only one who hadn't uttered a word had been Hiccup. Instead, he had sat on a log the whole time looking rather uncomfortable about the situation that was going on around him.

Astrid's tears finally let loose as she tossed open the door of her home and flung herself onto the couch. She was not one to typically cry, but the fact that a group of mostly boys had stared at her chest, which had been covered by wrappings, and poked fun at it was just a little to much for her to handle, mostly because they were right. She was thirteen - and would turn fourteen in a few short months - and she still had the same body that she did ten years ago.

After what seemed like a long time, Astrid sat up and took a deep breath. She then started to contemplate what she should do; she didn't want to go back to the beach and be ridiculed for both her lack of breasts and for running off in embarrassment, but at the same time she felt like she should venture out there again and stand up for herself. However, before she could make a choice, a knock sounded at her door.

"Who's there?" she called, struggling to hold back a sniffle.

"It's me, Hiccup. Can I come in?"

Biting her lip, Astrid rose to her feet and walked to the door. "Are you coming to tease me, too?" she sighed as she twisted the knob to reveal the guy who had been her best friend since either of them could remember.

"No, I uh...well...can I please just come in? You look like...you look like you need a hug."

"Alright," the girl concluded as she stepped aside to allow him to pass through the doorway.

Almost as soon as he was inside, Hiccup wrapped his arms around her middle. "Do you want me to get my dad to kick their butts?" he asked.

"No." She shook her head before burying it into her friend's shoulder. "I'd rather not have the news of my erm...my lack of development spread to your father. That would just be awkward."

"Alright. Well, do you...do you wanna tell my mom about it?" Since her mother had died whilst giving birth to her, Astrid had gotten "the talk" from Valka, who had also offered to help her with any concerns she might have about the matter.

"Not now. It's just..." She trailed off.

"Okay. What'll make you feel better, then?"

"Could we go for a ride? You on Toothless, me on Stormfly. I'll race you to the cove if we do."

A crooked grin spread across his lips as he broke the embrace. "It's on."

With that, the two young Vikings rushed out the door to find their respective dragons, Astrid thankful that she was lucky enough to have such a good friend and Hiccup happy that he had been able to cheer her up.


	26. Growing Pains (Part II)

**_Growing Pains_**

**_..._**

**Continuation of the last drabble...it's not Hiccstrid, it's actually Astrid talking to Valka about her being a late bloomer and about marriage. I don't know why I wrote this, so don't judge, haha.**

**SUMMARY: Astrid talks to Valka about some personal things.**

**...**

"So dear," Valka began. "Hiccup told me you were concerned about something last week." She was seated in the sitting room with Astrid whilst teaching her how to properly sew leggings, a skill that the said girl still hadn't yet mastered.

The blonde blushed slightly. "Yeah," she admitted, her voice soft.

"Care to talk about it? Stoick and Hiccup won't be back for a little while." Much to Hiccup's dismay, Stoick had decided to take him out for the day so he could observe a chief's daily duties and get a chance to practice some of the tasks on his own.

Astrid chewed on her lip before responding with, "I guess we could. I mean, it's kinda embarrassing, but..."

Nodding in understanding, Valka said, "I know, sweetheart. Hiccup had a talk with me about it. He said that the other kids were teasing you because you haven't grown breasts yet."

"They had a right to, I guess." The girl shrugged. "It's not like it's a lie." She picked at a twisted stich that was in the leggings she was working on.

"But it bothered you. Hiccup said their comments made you cry, and that's not okay."

Astrid sighed as she brought her face up to meet Valka's gaze. "I just...I just don't know why I haven't started changing yet. Ruffnut has, and she's only twelve. And when girls my age from other islands visit, they all have curves in the right places. I don't get it."

The Viking woman picked up the sewing from Astrid's lap and put it aside before reaching over and embracing the girl. "Every young woman is different. You know, your mother didn't need to wrap her chest until she was fourteen. I remember she was so excited when she finally got to wear bindings."

Astrid chewed on her lip. "Oh. She started that late?"

"It wasn't late, dear. Like I said, everyone is different." Valka released her from the hug. "And let me tell you, puberty isn't as exciting as it sounds. You need to worry about wearing enough wrappings so there's no bouncing up there, you start your monthly cycles, and you have to wash yourself more often."

"Will my...will my breasts look awkward while they're growing?"

"A bit, yes, but the awkwardness will pass soon enough. And you need to remember that nobody should be looking at them except yourself, so you won't need to impress anyone."

Astrid sighed. "I guess. I'm just tired of seeing a body that I hate every time I take a bath, though."

"Honey, don't hate your body. It's part of what makes you special."

"But Valka, what about marriage? My uncle told me that when I turn fourteen, he's going to start accepting offers from potential husbands. He said he's gonna wait to have me wed until I'm seventeen or eighteen, but if I grow late and slow, then..." She trailed off.

"Then what?"

"I don't want to have to show my awkward body to a man whose gonna be dissatisfied with it. And besides, what if I'm not even ready to carry babies? I've heard some of the women around here saying that my mother died in childbirth because she had me before she was fully ready."

"She was seventeen," Valka said. "Which is quite young. She married your father when she was sixteen because of an alliance that had to be formed between us Hooligans and the Hakon tribe. It wasn't a love match, sadly, and there was lots of pressure on them to produce children so the alliance could be kept throughout the generations."

"So will I have to marry outside of Berk?" Astrid's eyes widened.

"I don't know, dear. It depends what your uncle says. But I do certainly hope that whatever the case is, you find someone that you are completely head-over-heels for. Stoick and I went through a lot to get our parents to allow us to marry, which is why we decided we're going to let Hiccup choose a wife for himself when the time comes."

"But will anyone really love me if I don't grow big breasts and get as curvy as most women do?"

"If it's true love, none of that will matter, sweetheart."

Biting her lip, Astrid paused before asking, "Do you think Hiccup would ever make an offer to my uncle to marry me?"

Valka smiled. "It could be possible. He's very fond of you, dear."

"I...I...well, I just didn't know because he and Fishlegs always talk about how pretty Heather from the Odingoth tribe is whenever she comes here. And you know, she looks way more like a woman than I do." The girl looked down as she thought about the way her best friend looked at Heather as opposed to herself. With Heather, she often caught his eyes wandering to her breasts and butt, but with herself, none of that fascination was evident.

"Honey, a healthy relationship is about a lot more than just looks. And I have to add that Hiccup has been asking to have you sleep over for a long time. He says he misses the company from you that he used to get all the time when you two were younger. I told him that the only reason we stopped unnecessary sleepovers and started putting you children in separate rooms when they did need to happen was because you both were getting a little old for all that to be appropriate." Valka reached over to push Astrid's bangs out of her face. "My point being, he likes you."

"But could we have a sleepover? We could both stay out here in the sitting room if it would make you feel better. I just...I miss talking to him while I'm waiting to fall asleep."

"I'll ask Stoick," the Viking woman promised. "And if he's okay with it, we'll see about having you over for the night sometime soon."

"Thanks." Astrid smiled. "Thanks for everything. I really am lucky that you're so willing to chat like this."

"You're most definitely welcome. And if you have any more concerns about becoming a woman, marriage, men, or anything of the sort, don't hesitate to ask me. Remember, you should never be ashamed about any of this, alright?" Valka pulled the girl into a hug and kissed her forehead.

"Okay. I'll try not to be."

"Good. Now, let's get back to our sewing lesson."


	27. Growing Pains (Part III)

**_Growing Pains_**

**_..._**

**So, two things. I got multiple requests for a Part III of this drabble series, so here you go. Also, I got a guest review asking if I take requests. The answer to that is sort of. I always welcome ideas, but I don't write them unless I feel inspired to or have motivation to write on whatever the request is. So you can tell me what you'd like to see, and I may or may not work it into a story. **

**Also, Hiccstrid are talking about puberty in here because they're best friends and they're kinda comfy with sharing personal stuff. It's not meant to be weird. And Hiccup being a teenage guy...he's just kinda perverted a bit, so Pervcup. I mean, this is supposed to be a story about the embarrassment/awkwardness of growing up. And there will be a Part IV that'll probably be smutty 20-year-old married Hiccstrid.**

**SUMMARY: Fourteen-year-old Hiccup and Astrid talk puberty, marriage, and life. **

**...**

Fourteen-year-old Astrid sighed as she looked at down at her growing chest. Valka had been right. Breasts _did_ look awkward while they were developing. Actually, pretty much everything on her body looked awkward. Her hair was getting greasier, her thighs were becoming larger, and her chin was sprinkled with spots of acne. Not to mention, she was starting to change _down there_ as well.

Biting her lip, Astrid picked up the linen wrappings and tried for what seemed like the hundredth time to wrap her chest. She had been able to do it fine before she'd started to grow into a woman, but now, it had become a hated challenge. The only time the bindings seemed to lie nicely was when Valka helped her fasten them, but the Viking woman obviously was not available to assist her every time she dressed.

"Astrid, are you -"

The girl jumped at the sound of her best friend's voice in the room. "Hiccup! Why in Thor's name are you here?" she demanded. Her cheeks burned as she covered herself with her arms.

"I uh...I saw your door was cracked and I just...I assumed that I could...I could come in." The auburn-haired boy cast his gaze downward. "I...I'm sorry."

Silently cursing herself, she shook her head. Her uncle had already left for the day, so she hadn't thought to double check that her door was completely closed. "Well, can you erm...can you go so I can uh...can finish getting dressed?"

"Yeah, um...yeah, of course." Letting out an awkward cough, Hiccup backed out of the room and made his way downstairs. Ten minutes later, he was joined by Astrid, whose cheeks were still slightly flushed. "So..." he began. "I wasn't expecting that."

"Expecting what?" the blonde asked, sitting down beside him on the wooden couch.

"To see little uh...little breasts on you. I mean, if that's actually what they're called now."

The girl blushed deeper. Her "breasts" were mainly just awkward, puffy nipples that stuck out from her chest at a strange angle. As true as it was that they did not yet resemble the breasts of a mature woman, it was still embarrassing that he had noticed and pointed it out to her face.

"I'm sorry, Astrid. I mean...it's just that you're my best friend, and it's weird seeing you...seeing you um..._developing._" By this point, Hiccup's face was as red as hers.

"I know. I uh...I'm sorry you got a peek of me like that. I don't even like looking at myself naked, so I understand that it erm...it probably wasn't pleasant." She curled her bare feet underneath her legs and leaned against her friend's arm. Though the two were now teens, they still hadn't yet outgrown their love for cuddling up together.

Hiccup wrapped an arm about her middle. "Hey, I'm at an awkward stage of puberty too, so I erm...I kinda got used to seeing a um...a body that's in the middle of changing."

"I hate it."

"Hate what?"

"Developing. It's just...it's embarrassing, yet it's also embarrassing to look like a little girl, so I guess there's no way out of all the awkwardness until I'm a full woman." She hugged his shoulders.

"I know how you feel." Hiccup sighed. "You know that cut I had on my face the other day? I...I told Snotlout and the others that it was from an accident in the forge, but it was really from trying to shave for the first time."

Astrid looked at him, puzzled. "You...you're shaving already?"

"Just a little."

"But still..." She pulled herself away from his hold and lay down, her head dropping into his lap as she did so.

"I know, I know. It's kinda um...strange. You're lucky that you don't have to worry about that."

Biting her lip, Astrid said, "Well, actually...your mom told me I can shave under my arms if I get erm...if I get too much hair there and want it off. She also said that after I get married, I can shave my legs. I guess it's uh...it's because I might want to look cleaner while doing um..._things_ with my husband that I probably won't even like."

"You mean...s-sex?" Hiccup blushed.

She nodded. "I understand it's what married couples do, but I just don't wanna have to get naked in front of a strange man and let him touch me."

"Who said you'll be marrying a stranger?" he asked.

She took a deep breath. "My...my uncle. He...he just started looking at marriage offers from men in different tribes. He says he'll take offers from men on Berk later as well, but he thinks it would be more beneficial if I married outside of home."

"Oh, that's right. You're fourteen now."

Astrid nodded. "I just...I don't want to be an object some man can use whenever he feels the urge to erm...have sex. And I also don't want to leave Berk if he decides we should live on his island." She fought back the tears that were threatening to flow down her cheeks.

"Give me a hug." He held out his arms. Once she sat up and leaned into him, he fastened them tightly around her.

"I...I just don't wanna do this."

The room was silent for a while. Eventually, Hiccup said, "When...when is your uncle uh...when is he...when is he taking marriage offers from us Berkians?"

Astrid shrugged and buried her face against his shoulder. "Dunno."

"Well, let me know when he says something about it."

"Alright. But...but why?"

He took a deep breath. "Because I'm gonna ask him if I can marry you."

Drawing out of his embrace, Astrid looked him in the eye. In all the years she'd known Hiccup, he had always been wishy-washy when it came to decision-making. But now, he sounded so sure of what he wanted.

"If I married you, I...I would treat you as an equal. I mean, I'd get a little overprotective sometimes, and I might be kinda bossy then, but you could just punch me if that happened. We'd be just like how we are now. And of course I'd uh...I'd want to love on your body, but only with your permission. I mean, my dad told me that erm...intimacy is supposed to be fun for uh...both people."

A soft blush covered the girl's cheeks. "Can...can you marry me? I mean, not now, but in a few years maybe?"

Hiccup grinned. "I'll certainly try."

Without warning, Astrid grabbed his face and pecked his lips. "Thanks. For...for everything."


	28. Growing Pains (Part IV)

**_Growing Pains_**

**_..._**

**Okay, I lied. The smut will be the next and last chapter. This is just kinda a drabble on Astrid escaping an arranged marriage.**

**SUMMARY: Hiccup helps Astrid escape an arranged marriage and pervs on her breasts when she's only in her bindings.**

**...**

Astrid tried to stop the tears from flowing down her cheeks as she flung her axe at a nearby tree, the fateful words of her uncle echoing in her head.

_You're marrying a man from the Beserker tribe. _

Hiccup and Stoick had both tried to negotiate a dowry with Fearless Finn and persuade him to let the marriage between Hiccup and Astrid take place. However, he had refused, and just that morning had told her that he felt it was necessary for her to be wed to a thirty-year-old Berserker. And the worst part was that he had abandoned the idea of marrying her off when she was a bit older and wanted the wedding to take place as soon as possible, despite that she was now only a few months shy of sixteen.

"Astrid!" exclaimed Hiccup as he noticed his friend attempting to yank her axe from the tree she had just thrown it at. "I've been looking for you all day, and -" He stopped when he caught sight of her moist eyes. "What's wrong?"

Flinging herself upon him, her arms wrapping around his middle as she did so, she began to sob. "I...I...my uncle...he...he...he says I have to marry a Beserker man, and I...I don't want to. I...I'm scared, Hiccup, and he...he said the wedding needs to happen soon, and...and I don't wanna do it. I...I don't wanna be a stranger's wife. I...I don't wanna let him touch me. I...I don't wanna have his children."

"Oh gods, Astrid." Hiccup returned the embrace. "I...I'm sorry. My dad and I tried, but..."

"It's not...it's not your fault. I just...I was really looking forward to marrying you. I would've been able to get used to you being my husband and I wouldn't have minded erm...trying uh...trying to get intimate with you." Her last words came out in a rush. "But I just...I'm gonna be mortified if I have to do that with this man. And I...I just wanted to love someone and have someone love me because I...I only have my uncle and -"

"And me, my mom, and my dad." He sat down on the grass and gently pulled Astrid along with him.

The blonde snuggled into her friend's lap, her head falling against his shoulder and her hands gripping him more tightly. A few sniffles were heard before she asked, "Hiccup, do you...do you really love me?"

"I don't know that I could say I'm ready-for-marriage in love with you yet, but I do...I definitely do love you as a very best friend, and even a um...even a little bit more than that."

Astrid nodded in understanding. "Good. We...we're on the same page, then." She looked up. "But it's just...it's not fair that we can't be together. I mean, if we want to take the time to grow in our love and eventually get married, we should be able to."

"We should." He sighed.

"Could I...could I sleep at your house tonight?" Astrid asked after a pause. "I just...I'm just not ready to see my uncle at this point."

Hiccup nodded. "Of course you can. You're always welcome there."

A contented sigh escaped her lips. "Thanks. I...I really appreciate it."

...

Astrid undid her braid, then pulled off her boots, skirt, armor, and top, leaving her only in leggings and breast bindings.

"Great Odin," Hiccup said, his jaw hanging open. "You do know I can see you, right?"

"I don't have my nightgown with me. What else am I supposed to wear? And besides, you're my best friend; I don't mind if you see me in my chest wrappings. I'd only mind if you saw what was _under_ them."

"I have before, though." He put on a crooked grin.

Her cheeks burned red. "That was...I uh...I barely had breasts when that...when that happened. They...they've grown since then."

"Believe me, I've noticed," he blurted out.

"You pervert!" Astrid reached out a fist and punched his arm.

"I...I didn't notice it intentionally. It's just...I can...I can kinda feel them when we hug...like when we have a big, tight hug, not just a...a quick one."

"Well, I guess it's fair then to say that I've noticed...I've noticed that when we have sleepovers...in the...in the morning, you're a little uh...a little stiff down there."

"Hey, it...it's natural."

"And breasts are natural, too." She climbed onto Hiccup's bed and crawled beneath the covers. "Your parents said they trust us to sleep up here in your room, right?"

"Yup." He climbed in beside her, then blew out the candle on the bedside table. "So anyway...what are you gonna do about this arranged marriage?"

"I don't know," sighed Astrid. "But I don't wanna go through with it. I mean, I don't have any feelings for this man; I've never even met him. Besides, my mom died giving birth to me because she was married off too young and had me before she was ready to bear children, and I...I don't want that to happen to me. And it probably would since I'm a late bloomer and all. I haven't even started my monthly cycles yet, so..."

"So you can't have babies!" he exclaimed. "Astrid, you can use this to your advantage! Tell your uncle that you haven't started your cycles. Legally, women on Berk can't be married off until they have."

"But I'm gonna start eventually."

"And when you do, he doesn't need to know."

"Then, the Beserker man won't want to wait and he'll drop the engagement!" she added, catching onto the plan. "This might actually work!" Her arms wound around his middle and her lips met his. "Hiccup, you're brilliant!"

"Eh, I wouldn't say that, but..."

"But nothing. It's...it's an amazing idea. Thank you. Thank you so much."

Grinning, Hiccup returned her embrace. "It's my pleasure."


	29. Fears

_**Fears**_

_**...**_

**Merry Christmas!**

**SUMMARY: After a miscarriage and the death of her baby girl, Astrid Haddock is scared that her next child won't survive, either. Drabble.**

**...**

Astrid Haddock let out a soft sigh as she climbed into bed beside her husband and placed a hand on her growing baby bump. "Hiccup," she began. "Do you think this one will make it?"

Hiccup reached over to give the braid she had in her blonde hair an affectionate tug. "I'm sure he or she will," he replied as he forced a smile. It felt like his duty to put on a brave face and comfort his wife, though the loss of the previous Haddock children had scarred him just as badly as it had scarred her.

"I just...I just don't want to fail at this again. I mean, if only birthing problems didn't run in my family, our daughter would be a happy, healthy three-year-old with a big brother or sister." The first time she had gotten pregnant, Astrid had experienced a miscarriage. The second time, the poor little baby girl had arrived two months early and had died in her mother's arms only minutes after her birth. This time around, both parents were hoping that the child would be born healthy and push through his or her first month of life - that month in which death was such a likely occurrence.

"Hey, don't blame yourself. You know, my family had bad luck with babies, too. My mom had two miscarriages and a stillborn baby before I came along."

She pulled the furs on top of her and snuggled against Hiccup's side. "I know, but I just...I just can't help but feel like it's my fault I haven't been able to produce any surviving children."

"That's the furthest thing from the truth, darling." Pulling Astrid closer, he kissed the top of her head.

The room grew silent.

"Babe," Astrid began eventually. "What if we never have a baby that lives? I mean, then you won't have an heir and your family name can't be carried on and -"

"And if that would happen, I'd be perfectly content to only have you." Hiccup gave her waist a gentle squeeze. "But it won't. You know why?"

"Why?" She looked up at him questioningly.

"Because you're a strong woman, and our children will always be half of you. So you know, it's only natural that we'll end up with a little fighter someday." Smiling, he placed an affectionate hand over her baby bump. "And I have a feeling that fighter will be this one."

Almost as soon as he was finished speaking, Astrid felt a small twitch against her stomach. "Hic, did you...did you feel that?" she asked.

"That was our baby kicking, wasn't it?" he asked.

Before she could respond, she felt the movement a second time, which in turn triggered the flow of joyful tears down her cheeks. This was both the earliest and the hardest kick she had ever felt from her babies.

"See? He or she is a fighter already." Hiccup leaned in to kiss his wife on the lips.

"Oh babe, I just..." Trailing off, Astrid flung herself against him, her arms fastening about his middle in a tight hug.

Grinning, he returned the embrace. "I love you," he whispered as he felt her still flowing tears soak into his tunic. "Both of you."


	30. Addicted

**_Addicted_**

**_..._**

**My first modern AU drabble. Don't ask where it came from.**

**...**

I quickly slipped a large t-shirt over my sports bra before wriggling out of my jeans and crawling into bed. Letting out a sigh, I fought to get comfortable and struggled to force my hideous thoughts out of my head. However, I couldn't, which resulted in the release of warm, bitter tears.

"Astrid?" My roommate's voice broke into my thoughts.

"Hiccup?" Yes, my roommate was a guy. And yes, he was named Hiccup.

"What's wrong?" His voice was gentle.

"Bad day," I lied. "Nothing I wanna talk about."

Despite the darkness and my tears, I saw Hiccup nod in understanding. "Wanna sleep here tonight?" He shifted over and patted the vacant strip of mattress beside him.

In an instant, I was lying beside him on the narrow twin bed, my face buried into his chest and my arms fastened about his middle. No, we weren't dating; we were just friends. _Best _friends. Best friends who perhaps - just a little bit - liked each other as more than simply friends.

"It's okay. I'm here now," he soothed. I felt him tug my t-shirt over my bum, which was covered only by a pair of boyshort underwear, before rubbing comforting circles onto my hip. "Do you want pants on, Ast?" he questioned. "Ast" was his nickname for me. At first I'd hated it, but it had come to grow on me after a while.

I shook my head and let out a sniffle. "No, I'm fine like this." My bare leg hooked around his. "Unless you're uncomfortable?"

"Nah, it's cool." His lips touched the top of my head.

"Mmm." A deep sigh escaped my lips.

"You do realize, I hope," Hiccup began after a lengthy pause. "You can tell me anything you want."

"I know. It's just...it's just that I wanna keep it to myself for now." I grabbed a fistful of his t-shirt, which was now wet with both my tears and my snot (gross, I know).

"And I respect that." He kissed my head again. "Now what do you say we find something to watch on TV?"

"Sounds good," I agreed as I sat up to wipe my swollen eyes. I then shifted positions and settled down onto his pillow.

He smiled at me before reaching over to grab the remote control. However, instead of using it himself, he handed it to me. "You choose, blondie." That was another nickname he often used on me. It had actually started when we were having a somewhat dirty conversation in which I had mentioned that I didn't bother shaving between my legs because the hair was short and nearly as blonde as the hair on my head. Hiccup, being the clueless dork that he is, had never heard of hair "down there" being that light, and as a result, had begun to (affectionately) call me "blondie" as a joke - after remarking that a patch of blonde curls in my womanly area sounded cute, that is.

"You won't like what I choose," I insisted.

"I'll watch it with you anyway."

"Nah, you'll just fall asleep."

"True, but at least I'll still be here with you." He hugged my waist and buried his nose into my hair.

Tugging the duvet up to my chin, I curled closer to him before turning on the TV and letting out a yawn. "I guess so."

"You just yawned," he remarked.

"And?"

"That means you might fall asleep soon, too." I felt him caress my arm.

"Well, you did invite me here to sleep, not watch TV."

"True."

I flipped to the history channel. Lame, I know, but I liked history. It was actually interesting once you got deeper than the basic facts.

"History? Seriously?" Hiccup asked.

"Told you that you wouldn't like my choice," I muttered as I set the remote down.

"You're such a nerd, Astrid."

"Thanks."

"You're most welcome." He pressed a sloppy kiss onto my cheek.

I made a face. "Eww, your saliva is all over me, you dork."

"You dork," he copied.

"Come here." Grabbing his chin, I thrust my lips against his, my tongue begging for entrance into his mouth. Even though we weren't a couple, we still had spontaneous makeout sessions at times. Once, we'd even gone so far as to get down to our underclothes, and I had let him reach underneath my bra because he'd been curious about what boobs felt like. In return for that, he had allowed me to feel his bum. But friends experimented and explored like that with each other, right?

_Wrong._

And it was for that reason that I had broken down earlier. Well, sort of. The reasoning behind my distress had been that, upon considering the things I'd done with Hiccup, I had come to the conclusion that I was a slut, a whore, an "easy girl." I mean, we'd done nearly everything except see each other's privates and go all the way...without being solely committed to one another. It was a terrible feeling, yet I was convinced that my only comfort and relief could be found through his pleasuring touch.

I was addicted. I was delusional. I was _in love _\- in love with my best friend. And by the looks of it, he loved me back.


	31. Beautiful Mistake

_**Beautiful Mistake**_

**_**...**_**

**I am soooo sorry for not posting anything. I'm taking a creative writing course that is literally draining all my creativity. I do have some pieces I wrote for that based on aspects of **_**Dragons**_** which I might post eventually...not sure yet. But yeah...by the time I have free time, the last thing I want to do is more creative writing. Plus, I was in Tampa all last week and I have a bunch of tests and stuff for my other classes. So yeah...I apologize again. But I hope you like this! I'm thinking of making a part two or turning this into a mini story...but if I do the mini story it'll probably not come out till summer.**

**No summary, but this is another modern AU. It's sort of my addiction for now. But don't worry, I have lots of canon ideas for future stories, too:)**

**...**

"I'm pregnant." The words rushed out of Astrid's mouth as she stared at her reflection and placed a hand over her still flat stomach. Her baby was in there.

Her and _Hiccup's_ baby, that is.

Now here was the problem: Hiccup wasn't her husband. He wasn't even her boyfriend. He was simply her best friend whom she'd gone a little too far with one night.

And now she was carrying his offspring.

She'd been told women couldn't get pregnant at the time they lost their virginity, and being the naive nineteen-year-old she was, she had believed it. Obviously, the people who'd said that were wrong.

"You're gonna be a dad," she said to her reflection before shaking her head.

"Ast?" That was him.

"I'm right here," she called as she rushed into the combination living room and bedroom that they shared. Yes, they _shared_ a room. And a home. Since they'd been best friends from the time they were thirteen, they had thought it would be a good idea to rent a little apartment together during college.

As it turned out, it was far from "good," especially since they had made the decision to share a bed in order to save space in their tiny living quarters. And the bed-sharing - along with their lack of decent clothing - is what was mainly responsible for encouraging sexual desire between them. You see, Hiccup normally slept in only boxers, and Astrid in an oversized t-shirt and panties. But what else were they supposed to wear in a hot, humid Florida apartment with no air conditioning, especially when one another's bodies added even more heat to the bed?

"Oh hey," he greeted upon catching sight of her. "I was wondering if you wanted to go grab some pizza in a little while."

"I guess...I mean, erm...uh..." Astrid bit her lip.

"You okay?"

She nodded and shied away from him. "Yeah, I'm...I'm fine."

"Really? Because I've known you long enough to see that you're definitely _not_ fine." Hiccup shook his head and set down his backpack. "Did you even go to your classes today?"

"No. I wasn't feeling good this morning, remember?"

"Oh, right. Well how are you now, baby girl?" He plopped onto the bed and motioned for her to sit beside him. When she did, he wrapped his arms around her and gently guided her down until she was lying in his lap.

She flinched at his use of the term "baby." It wasn't that she didn't find it sweet that he had started using little nicknames for her since the night on which they'd had sex, it was just that hearing the word "baby" reminded her of the little being inside her stomach.

"Ast?" he asked. "You alright?"

Astrid sat up and turned to face him. "Promise you won't hate me if I tell you something?"

"You know I won't." His green eyes gently bore into her blue ones. "I could never hate you."

It was then that tears started to run down her cheeks. No amount of practice in front of the mirror could've ever prepared her for the actual moment she had to tell him the news. "But you will after this!" she insisted. "It's...it's..."

"Oh, Ast." He enveloped her in a hug and kissed the top of her head.

"You know when we...when we slept together?" she sniffled.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"We...we made a baby." She buried her face into his neck.

Hiccup froze. "You...you're pregnant?" he asked eventually.

Astrid nodded against him. "I messed up. I really messed up."

"No, _we_ messed up," he corrected.

"But Hiccup, I...I wanna keep the baby. It's not his fault that we made a mistake. I'll understand if you don't want to be part of his life, but I'm not gonna -"

"You know, when I told you I loved you the night we had sex, I really meant it."

She looked up at him, her eyes still teary and red. "You don't have to say stuff like this."

"But it's true. I love you, and we're gonna raise our baby together. You're not allowed to argue with that."

"You...you're not mad?" she sniffled.

"A little surprised, but not angry," he responded. "I wanted to be a dad someday. I mean, this isn't exactly how I pictured it to happen, but it'll do." Grinning, he gently tugged on the bottom of her shirt. "Could I see your baby bump?"

"I'm still flat, but sure." She pulled her top up to her swelling breasts.

Hiccup laid his warm palm onto her tummy. "Hey, little one," he murmured. "I'm your daddy. Mama can't believe I love you and her, but I do." He bent down to kiss around Astrid's belly button. "And I can't wait to see you in person. I bet you're a cutie."

She managed a smile. He was going to be an amazing father, even if the pregnancy had been an accident.

"We're gonna be a family," he continued as his lips made their way up to her chest.

"Stop. We're not going _there_ again." She ran her fingers through his hair. "Not now, anyway."

Hiccup backed away and pulled Astrid's shirt back over her exposed skin. "Sorry, milady. But we _can_ be a family, right?"

She shrugged and swung her feet onto his lap as her head hit the mattress. "Dunno."

"What do you mean?" He mindlessly rubbed his thumb across her toes.

"I don't even know where we stand, Hic. We were never committed to one another the way we should've been before conceiving a baby. I mean, we might eventually each find our own significant others and the poor kid will have to constantly go back and forth between us. And as much as I hate that idea -"

"Marry me, Ast."

"What?"

"Marry me." His eyes met hers.

"I don't know." Sighing, she shied away from his gaze.

"We're practically a married couple already," he pointed out. "We share all the bills, we sleep in the same bed, and you walk around in just your panties and one of my shirts more often than not."

"Hiccup, do you know how many people have roommates they share their bills with? And so what if I wear my underwear around the house or we sleep next to one another? It just means we're close friends."

"Close friends don't have sex."

"We only did it once."

"It's okay if you don't wanna get married," he concluded. "Just know that I love you, I'm here for you, and I want to be part of our baby's life. Okay?"

"Okay." Astrid sat up and took a deep breath. "I just don't know how I'm gonna tell my uncle about this," she said. Due to the fact that both her parents had died when she was a baby, her uncle had raised her. "He's gonna be so pissed when he finds out."

"I doubt my dad will take it much better. My mom might not be too upset, though." Hiccup shrugged. "But whatever. It'll work out in the end."

"I guess."

Silence settled over the room.

"So," he started. "When did you find out you were pregnant?"

"Monday. I missed my period last month, then I missed it again this month, so I decided I should take a pregnancy test. I just wasn't sure how to tell you that you're gonna be a daddy, so that's why you didn't hear about it until now."

"So you're about two months along?"

She nodded.

"Have you made a doctor's appointment yet?"

"Yeah. I'm going Saturday morning. Wanna come with me?" She looked up at him.

"Of course. Are you getting an ultrasound there?"

"Mm-hm. And I'm finding out my due date."

"Aww, then we can start the countdown to Baby Hofferson." He smiled.

"Baby _Haddock_," corrected Astrid. Noticing the confusion on Hiccup's face, she added, "I want the baby to have your name. You know, in case I decide to take you up on that marriage offer someday."

"What? I thought -"

"I know I said I wasn't sure about it. But what I meant was that I think marriage would be too much of a sudden move right now. In the future, though, it could maybe work." She shrugged. "I mean, if neither of us find someone else."

Grinning, he kissed her temple. "Deal. Now, how about we go get that pizza? Our little munchkin probably needs some food in his belly."


	32. French Kiss

**_French Kiss_**

**_..._**

**So, I got a request to write Hiccstrid's first makeout. This takes place between the end of ****_Defenders_**** and the flashback parts of ****_Dawn of the Dragon Racers._**

**...**

When Hiccup asked Astrid if she wanted to go on an evening flight with him, she wasn't sure whether it was a date or not. When he insisted they both ride Toothless "so they could talk better," she began to believe that she was involved in something a bit more complex than a hangout, though she still couldn't be sure. Even when he walked her home, she was questioning how she should label what had just happened.

But then, the defining moment came. He kissed her.

Yes, _he _kissed_ her._

It happened on her front porch. Just as she was about to turn the doorknob, she was stopped by his gentle touch on her wrist.

"Wait," he said. "I uh...I have to say goodnight."

Astrid smiled. "You already said it when we were getting off of Toothless."

"No, I um...I uh...I need to say it properly, like...well, you know..." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Properly?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Y-Yeah. Like...like this." Placing a trembling hand below Astrid's chin, he hesitantly pressed his lips to hers.

Butterflies fluttered gently through her stomach as she wound her arms around his neck. For the first time, she allowed herself to deepen the kiss, her tongue begging entrance into his mouth. And all because _he_ was kissing _her._

"Ast...Astrid," Hiccup stuttered with wide eyes.

Blushing, the Viking girl stepped away. "I...I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what? I uh...erm..."

"Kiss me again."

"Huh?"

"You heard me, you dork."

"Well, I mean...if you insist." Hiccup placed a calloused palm on Astrid's cheek and sealed their lips together. This time, he opened his mouth, permitting her tongue to mingle with his.

She let out a contented sigh, her heart racing with excitement as she explored him in a way she never had before. He tasted good. No, not good. _Heavenly. _She could kiss him like this for minutes. For hours. For days. She'd always turned her nose up at people who claimed kissing "the right person" was magical, time-stopping, and like a blissful dream. But now, she suddenly believed every word of what they said.

He hugged her waist and pulled her closer. She could feel a firmness building up in his trousers as her breasts pressed against his chest and her tongue pushed deeper into his mouth.

"Oh gods..." he panted eventually as he drew away. "I...I'm sorry," he added with reddening cheeks. "It's just...I need to breathe for a minute."

"Me, too." She sighed contentedly and wrapped her arms about his middle. Her head dropped against his narrow shoulder and her eyes fell shut.

Silence fell over the scene as the two simply stood in one another's embrace, Hiccup pressing sloppy kisses onto her cheek and Astrid letting out happy, indistinguishable murmurs.

"Son." The voice cut into the young couple's bliss.

"Dad!" Jumping back, Hiccup turned to face Stoick, his face as red as a tomato and the bulge in his pants still evident. "What uh...what..."

"I thought I told you to be back by dark."

"Um...it uh...it's not completely dark yet."

"You know what I meant, Hiccup. Now come. And when we get home, I want to have a little father-son talk with you."


	33. Announcement

p style="text-align: center;"strongAnnouncement!/strong/p  
p style="text-align: center;" /p  
p style="text-align: center;"strongSince this collection was getting too cluttered, I began a second one titled emAs Long as I Have You. /emGo check it out! Also, I have been redoing my profile by taking things down. If you have something in mind that you want but it is no longer here, PM me. Lastly, I changed my pen name. It is now /strong/p 


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